


Learning

by sandcastlez



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - BDSM, Angst, Confused Tony, Dom Steve Rogers, Domestic Discipline, F/F, F/M, Fix-It, Fluff, Hurt Tony Stark, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Patient Steve Rogers, Post-Serum Steve Rogers, Slow Burn, Spanking, Sub Tony Stark, Subdrop, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tony is a brat but he just needs love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-26
Updated: 2020-04-01
Packaged: 2020-05-19 22:43:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 28,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19365319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sandcastlez/pseuds/sandcastlez
Summary: Tony didn't need a Dominant. He didn't care what anyone had to say about it. According to him, he was perfectly fine alone so he intended to stay that way. Nobody needed to know that he cried himself to sleep at night and nobody needed to know how desperate he was to feel like someone could actually love him.Nobody wanted a smart-mouthed, broken submissive who just wanted to be independent. Nobody wanted to have to train a submissive who was Tony's age to be anything but a brat. So, Tony stood behind his impenetrable wall and sent anyone who was stupid enough to look his way running in the other direction. He liked it that way; it was safe. It was hard, and he was depressed, but it was safe. So he kept the facade up.Which was working. Until he met Steve. Steve was...different. And he made Tony feel different.For the first time in his life, Tony wanted to be good. He didn't know how to, but he wanted to learn. He'd never for a second even considered it before, but that was before Steve. And he would learn to be good for Steve.





	1. wait!

**Author's Note:**

> i'veeeee been working on this for a while now. pretty excited to get it up and running! 
> 
> Like stated in the description, this is set in the MCU, but our beloved Avengers aren't quite banded together or, well, actual superheroes. They fight the bad guys in more, well, normal ways. (Most of them, at least...for now). Anyways, this story focuses on Steve and Tony, not their superhero ways. 
> 
> Hope you don't hate it!

Tony wanted to be good.

Well, at least now he did. In the past, he couldn’t care less. Now, though, he'd met Steve. And whether he liked it or not, he wanted to be good for Steve.

Tony had been without a legal dominant since Pepper and her submissive/fiancé bonded almost three years ago. Although, Pepper still spent a lot of her time treating Tony as if he was still all hers. He didn't mind, he loved Pepper more than anything in the whole world. Their relationship was never romantic or sexual, however, and though Tony acted like he didn’t need anyone on that level, he did. He definitely did, and that’s why he acted out so badly.

He’d tried to find someone. More than once. But nobody could ever handle him. He ended up getting beat, fucked, and left more times than he wanted to admit because he didn’t know how to just be _good_.

Eventually, he managed to convince himself that he was comfortable being alone. Nobody could hurt him or use him or _l_ _eave_  him if he was alone, so he accepted it. Well, until he met Steve. Steve was a different story.

It started as a work thing. The first damn Super Soldier strolling into his tower with SHIELD agents to gain access to some of his technology. And then came the flirting. And then the question: ‘ _Why aren’t you bonded yet, Tony?_ ’

There was no ‘if you don’t mind me asking’. They’d barely broken the ice before he got straight to the question. Tony couldn’t do much but blanche and stutter in response, causing Steve to chuckle and tell him he didn’t have to answer him. Tony was glad, because he didn’t know how to answer him. Nobody had ever asked him that before; he just figured it was obvious.

"It was just... _rude_ ," Tony had went home and complained to Pepper during their nightly phone call, "Seriously, who does he think he is?" 

"Someone with a crush, it sounds like," Pepper responded, smile evident in her voice as she teased Tony, "I doubt he meant anything by it."

"He does _not_  have a crush on me, Pepper," he grumbled around a forkful of his dinner, "He's like, 90, or something. And even if he wasn't, I doubt I'm the face of America's type." 

"I think he's more like 100, actually," Pepper allowed herself to laugh before becoming more serious, "And why aren't you his type, Tony?" 

Tony snorted at that, "Have you met me?" 

"Yeah, I have," she answered softly, "I think he'd love  _my_ Tony. The Tony you're giving him is a different story, but it's impossible not to like _my_ Tony." 

Tony sighed sadly at that; he didn't like it when she called him and his act out like that. Plus, guilt crept up on him at that because if Pepper could see how he'd been behaving lately in the presence of others, she wouldn't be happy. She knew he could be a brat, but ever since she'd left and he had no one to take him in hand, it only was getting worse. 

"I miss you," he mumbled softly after a moment of silence, sounding much smaller than he previously had, "Wish you guys would just come home already." 

Pepper and her Submissive, Helen, had been out of the state for nearing three months by then for Helen's work, and Tony was slowly but surely going crazy. This was the longest he'd ever been away from her since she came into his life and he was having a hard time dealing with being constantly left to his own devices.

Pepper was more than used to that type of change in demeanor from him and she adjusted accordingly, "I miss you, too, honey. Just a few more weeks and we'll be back." 

"It's taking too _long,"_ Tony stressed, feeling very teary all of a sudden. Tony hated a lot of things about himself, but how much of a baby he was when he was actually being himself was the absolute worst. He spent most of his day acting like an untouchable, unfazed tough guy, so when he actually was somewhere with someone where he felt comfortable, he tended to cry over just about anything due to holding in all of his emotions throughout the day. 

"I know, sweetheart," she appeased sympathetically, sounding sad, "I know. Just a few more weeks." 

She changed the subject after that, successfully pulling Tony into a better mood than the one he'd just slipped down into. Tony happily chatted with his former Dominant about anything besides Steve. The second she even tried to touch on that subject, Tony would clam up and start talking about something else. He didn't want to talk about Steve. He didn't want to think about him. He just wanted him to leave him alone. 

Which, of course, Steve did not do.

From there on out, it was like Steve was on a mission. He wanted Tony to open up, and Tony was most definitely not willing to. He wasn't necessarily happy living the way he was living, but he was safe. And that's what mattered the most to him. 

Still, he couldn't escape the way Steve made him feel. From the first time he met him, everything about Steve made Tony want to fall to his knees, bow his head, and just submit. He’d never, ever, felt that for anyone else. And because of that, Tony immediately put up a wall.

Well, at least he tried incredibly hard to. Tony wanted Steve at an arm’s length before he did something stupid, like fall in love with him. Unfortunately for him, Steve was persistent. It didn’t work for long before Steve started to force his way in.

“Tony?” Steve asked quietly one night when they were at one Tony’s famous parties at the tower. Tony had been hiding from the mass amounts of people out on his balcony, and Steve had followed him once he’d noticed his absence, “What’re you doing out here?”

By then, he’d been forced to work with Steve on an almost daily basis for nearly a month, and avoiding him was only getting harder with time. Tony could already sense his strong presence when he stepped onto the balcony, but the sound of his _voice_...

Tony’s breath hitched at the sound of Steve’s voice. _God_ , that deep, rough voice that managed to be gentle and calm all at the same time. Even when he was upset, he was calm and collected. It was part of what Tony liked so much about him.

“Oh, just stargazing,” Tony’s aim was to sound nonchalant, but it definitely didn’t come out the way. He grimaced when he heard his voice squeak, and blushed profusely when Steve chuckled in response. 

“Right,” the man laughed, stepping forward so he could lean against the railing next to Tony, “Seems like your avoiding your own party to me.”

“Good thing nobody asked you, huh?” Tony spoke, sending him a cheeky smile before taking a swig of the beer in his hand. He didn’t want to do this - Steve was one of the few Dominants in his life he wanted to respect. He wanted to pursue whatever this was. But he was too scared. He didn’t want him to get too close.

As long as he was being bad, Steve wouldn’t want him...right?

Just like he usually did when Tony gave him a smartass response, Steve just laughed. The look he sent him was still fond, even as he spoke, “You’re a brat, y’know? You can tell no one’s taking care of you.”

Those words hit him like a ton of bricks. He didn’t want to care. He truly didn’t, but he did! If anyone else called him a brat, he would have laughed and agreed. But this...Steve telling him that just hurt more than anything. He didn’t  _want_ to be brat. He wanted to be good. He just...couldn’t.

He felt his lip twitch partly in anger, partly in shame at the response he'd been given. His grip on his beer tightened and he stiffened, trying his best not to sound hurt when he spoke, “I don’t need taken care of.”

“Band on your wrist says otherwise,” Steve spoke nonchalantly, giving the submissive a wink when he just blushed again in response.

Tony glared at his sub band, wishing for the billionth time since he had to register that he could just take the damned thing off. Unfortunately, though, that was against the law, and the last place Tony wanted to land himself was in some Sub house for disobedience.

“ _Everybody_ needs taken care of, Anthony,” Steve reiterated after a moment of silence, carefully watching his reactions as he spoke, “Doms, too. Just in a different way. That’s why we bond.”

Tony had never really heard it put like that, but he disagreed. Tony couldn’t think of one way in which he could help a dominant, especially a dominant as well balanced as Steve. If anything, he would just drive him crazy.

“I can’t take care of anybody,” Tony admitted quietly, eyes cast on the cars driving past many feet below them. It was rare he allowed himself moments of vulnerability, but when he talked to Steve...it just slipped out, “I can’t take care of-“

He stopped himself before he could utter the final word:  _I can’t take care of myself._

A little vulnerability was one thing, but flat out showing weakness like that...Tony couldn’t do it. Steve could tell Pepper, or Rhodey, or anyone else who could help force Tony into a legal bond because they were worried about him. Pepper had already threatened it before when Tony had forgot to eat...or sleep...or leave his lab for days at a time. They didn’t need anymore evidence that he wasn’t doing okay on his own.

Steve sighed, shaking his head a little while eyeing Tony. Tony was avoiding eye contact like his life depended on it, trying to regain his calm composure. He was beginning to wish he’d started with hard liquor instead of just nursing a few beers. Keeping his guard up was honestly easier when he was drunk.

Pepper didn’t like it when he got shitfaced drunk, though, especially not in the public eye. That wasn’t a phone call he wanted to receive. And God forbid she actually came to the tower to deal with him. Just the thought of Pepper’s hairbrush made him shudder.

“I don’t think you give yourself enough credit,” Steve finally spoke, interrupting Tony’s thoughts, “I think if you had a little bit of guidance, you’d be just fine, Anthony. But of course, I don't think you want that.”

Tony blinked hard a couple of times at that because... _what?_   Was that...a compliment? An insult? Tony didn’t know what to make of it, but he knew Steve was wrong. No amount of help could steer Tony straight. He just knew it, and he didn't want anyone to waste their time trying.

“ _I_ think  _you_ don’t know what the hell you’re talking about, Rogers,” Tony spat out, his usual anger and flat out brattiness out coming back to him. He didn’t want to do this, but he had to. Or at least that’s what he kept telling himself.

And once again, Steve just laughed at him. It pissed Tony off that no matter the amount of back talking and bratty behavior he threw at the man, he never even seemed irritated. He never walked away. He never snapped back. He just laughed. All that did was make Tony want to scream and push until he got the response he was accustomed to.

“That usually works for you, huh?” Steve asked as he turned to face Tony with a smile, seemingly amused, “You just throw out a little disrespect and run your smart ass mouth and that runs off every Dom who approaches you, right? That’s what this little act is?”

Tony nearly sputtered because well, yeah...that’s exactly what it was. Nobody wanted a submissive who didn’t know how to submit, especially not one who was Tony’s age. All he could manage to do was glare at Steve and give him a pitiful shake of the head. He didn't trust himself to speak.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought,” Steve chuckled, taking a step closer to Tony, “I’m not about to dignify your bitchy behavior, boy. I don’t think it’s all your fault; I think you’ve been given up on too much, but I also think you running any and everybody off isn’t helping, Anthony.”

Tony felt his lips part, but he couldn’t come up with anything to say. His face was burning and his mouth was dry and the submissive in him was screaming. Nobody besides Pepper had ever checked him like this before and he was having a hard time pulling together a defense. How did he  _know_?

“But guess what, though?” Steve continued before Tony could reply, smoothing out the submissive’s jacket casually, “I’m not scared of you. Or your past. Or that God awful attitude. I’m not running, so you might as well give it up now.”

Steve’s eyes weren’t angry or annoyed as they bored into Tony’s, but they held a certain air of... determination. That scared Tony, but it made him want to submit even fucking more. Nobody had ever even made it this far past Tony's defense. No one had ever bothered to try.

“I...” he tried to speak, but all of a sudden his mouth was dry and his brain wasn’t working properly. All he really knew for sure was that his guard had just been blown to pieces within less than a minute and he needed the conversation to be over before he did something stupid.

“I will admit, though,” Steve chuckled once he realized Tony had nothing else to say, patting the other man’s stubbly cheek before dropping his hands, “You and your act are adorable. I’m gonna get back to the party, okay? I think you should join me soon before people start to worry.”

Tony’s stomach fluttered, both at his words and the gentle touch. The way he phrased it like a suggestion instead of a flat out order, unlike every other Dominant he seemed to encounter...The way his touch just felt so  _nice_ against his skin. Tony knew he was becoming touch starved, it had been almost three months since he’d last saw Pepper, but _damn_ , he hadn’t realized he missed it that much.

Tony was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he almost didn’t notice Steve walking away. He didn’t know much at the time, but he knew he was feeling vulnerable as hell. So when he saw Steve about to open the sliding doors to rejoin the party, he couldn’t stop himself...

“Wait!”


	2. easy..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow so it seems a lot of people actually like this! I really wasn't expecting such a reaction over night, but luckily for you guys I've got the next few chapters outlined and will be able to update fairly quickly.

Tony’s voice sounded so desperate and he hated himself for it, but he couldn’t stop himself. For whatever reason, he didn’t want to be left alone with his thoughts. He wanted Steve to stay.

Steve looked smug when he turned back around, almost like he was expecting it, and that made the brat in Tony almost flare up again. He wanted to turn around and say never mind, to snap at him and tell him to just go away. And he fully intended to, too, but then Steve spoke.

“Yes?” Steve asked him, voice as gentle as always as he re-approached him. Tony thought maybe this gentleness was just Steve trying to avoid setting him off, but then he remembered what Steve had told him: he didn't  _care_ if he set him off. He had already made it very clear that he wasn’t scared of Tony.

Tony had no idea how to handle someone not being scared of him. Despite his status, he was a billionaire in a position of power with a bad attitude and a bad reputation for bad behavior. He was just bad in general. Only Pepper saw him for who he was, and sometimes Rhodey...but he was still _bad_. That was enough to run most Dominants in their right minds away from him, but Steve didn’t seem to mind. Steve wasn't scared.

“I...S-sorry,” Tony forced himself to ground out, feeling too weak for his liking. He  _never_ apologized to anyone besides Pepper...but this time, he wanted to. He  _needed_ to, “I...don’t wanna be like this. I just...am.”

Tony grimaced at his own stuttered out words. He knew he wasn’t making any sense, but that’s all he really had to offer. Either he didn’t know how to explain it further or he just didn’t want to. This was the first time in a long time he'd felt the need to explain himself to anyone.

Steve, who’d still been lingering a few feet back, closed the distance between them. Tony was expecting questions. He was expecting Steve to demand an explanation as to why he behaved that way, but instead he just reached up and began to run his fingers through Tony’s thick, brown hair.

At first, Tony flinched. This wasn't a touch he was very accustomed to. Honestly, he wasn't very accustomed to any touch by then. He wanted to pull away and tell him to leave him alone, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. The fingers against his scalp felt nice.  _So_ nice. Steve was obviously very experienced when it came to this kind of stuff. Tony couldn't figure out why the man was alone, and he definitely didn't understand why he was pursuing  _him_ , of all people, because he was borderline perfect.

After a moment, Tony's tense posture relaxed. He bowed his head ever so slightly and allowed himself to relish in the feeling of Steve playing with his hair. He couldn’t stop himself from letting out a satisfied, moan-like noise. It felt _amazing._ Steve let out a chuckle at this, “That’s nice, huh?”

The way Steve spoke to him made him want to melt right there in his arms. He was so _gentle_ with him. It was so easy to be a dick towards everybody else because almost everybody else was always a dick to him. Steve, on the other hand, was different. That's why he tried his best to avoid him, so he didn't fall into a situation like the one he was currently in. 

“Mhm,” Tony allowed himself to answer, trying not to purr in response to the touch. Yeah, he was definitely touch starved and it definitely felt better than he remembered. At that moment, he hoped Steve would never stop touching him. He didn't care if that made him needy or not.

“You don’t get this a lot, do you?” Steve asked bringing up his other hand to cup Tony’s cheek when he started letting his head loll against his shoulder. When the submissive let his head rest in his hand and his eyes closed, he smiled, “Yeah. I can tell. Poor thing.”

Usually, he didn't like sympathy. He didn't like _any_  of this. But Tony didn’t want to argue. For the first time in a long time, he didn't want to argue. He was being  _pet_ and he adored it. Only Pepper pet him like that. Only Pepper did a lot of things. This was all new to him.

It had been a few minutes of just the touching and Tony’s even breathing when he found himself unwillingly falling into subspace. He didn’t care who seen, he didn’t care about feeling weak. He couldn’t even be embarrassed, he just felt so relaxed. And safe. Nothing in the world could touch him _besides_ Steve. 

Out of nowhere, he sound of breaking glass startled him. His eyes shot open to see the beer bottle he’d previously been holding had hit the ground of the balcony, leaving shards of glass and what was left of the liquid on the ground beneath them.

‘ _Jesus, Tony,_ ’ he though to himself as he tried to remember how to breathe again, ‘ _Way to let your guard down._ ’  

Tony had jerked at the unexpected sound, causing Steve to take his hands away. Steve stopped _touching_ him. Tony didn’t like that.

 _'No, no, no..._ ' Tony felt his heart beat beginning to speed up and everything started to come down on him like a train. What was he  _doing_? Why would Steve stop? Why did he have to be stupid enough to drop the fucking bottle? He was such an idiot. Not only was he an idiot, but he was an idiot who was dropping in the middle of his own party with a Dominant he hardly knew. 

He was already feeling so fuzzy and scared and... _damnit_ , this is part of why he couldn’t do this. Neither his body or his mind were accustomed to any sort of affection, so whenever he got it he tended to go down too fast. He knew better, and he was stupid enough to allow it anyway. God, he hated himself. 

Lucky for the both of them, Steve obviously knew what he was doing with a panicky, dropping Submissive, because he saw the signs and he immediately reacted. 

“Easy,” he murmured, placing his hands on the man’s shoulders. Tony flinched at the touch, not expecting it despite the fact that Steve's movement was slow. The last time he'd ended up in such a vulnerable position with a Dominant he didn't know too well...it didn't end well. And Tony didn't want to be taken advantage of  _again._ Tony wasn't afraid of a lot, not anymore, but at that moment he was petrified. He didn't want it to happen again! He couldn't let it!

“I think maybe we should get you up to your floor, Anthony,” Steve recommended softly after he got a look at the boy's scared, doe like eyes. He turning him around by his shoulders so they could begin to walk towards the doors, “I don’t want you dropping out here.”

Fear and disorientation was consuming Tony - he was out of it. He'd never just lost all control before, not like this and definitely not so fast. He didn’t know how the hell Steve managed to make him feel like this just by a couple of minutes of touching, but he hated it. Steve could do anything with him if he wanted, and Tony would just have to take it. Again.

Tony tried to remind himself that Steve wouldn’t do that, though...At least he didn’t think he would. He may try to force his way through Tony’s guard (and apparently succeed) but he never made it seem like _that_  was what he wanted from him. He didn't show any of the warning signs Tony wished to God he would have saw in the other guys in the past. No, Steve was a good guy. He wouldn't do that.

“No,” Tony managed to whisper when he realized he was being led back inside, trying to still his feet, “I’m o-okay...I don’t need-“

He was trying to convince himself more than anything. If he could just get to his quarters  _alone,_ he could manage this on his own. It wouldn't be the first time he'd had to do it. It wouldn't be pretty, but he could do it alone. If he let Steve see him like this...it defeated the purpose of what he'd been trying to do since he met the man. It let him in.

“Shh,” Steve hushed him, massaging his shoulders a little when he tensed back up. He stopped moving the second Tony started to put up a fight, not wanting him to feel forced into anything,  “Yeah, you do. We can call Pepper or Rhodes and we'll see if they can help you go down easier, but you’re going down, Anthony. Let’s go.”

Tony relaxed a little bit at that. He didn't want Rhodey for this kind of stuff...not because Rhodey wasn't any good at helping him out, because he was. He wasn't quite as gentle as Pepper, but he'd helped him come down on a few separate occasions. Still, though, that was his best friend. They were equals when they were together. Tony didn't like having to change that. But Pepper...calling Pepper sounded like the best idea he'd heard all night. She was on the other side of the country, but he could hear her voice. That sounded...nice.

He felt himself relax some under Steve's heavy hands - at least it wouldn't be  _just_ him and Steve. He wished it didn't have to be Steve at all - he didn't want him to see him like this, but he didn't have a choice. Steve was the only person who was there and as much as he hated to admit it, his touch still felt nice. Tony was zoned out as he was led through the busy main room of his own party. It was loud, he registered that, but nothing else. He was too out of it to even care if someone saw them. Hopefully, everyone was drunk enough to mind their own business because he didn't want to wake up to headlines about how him and America's first super soldier left together.

The complete silence of the elevator snapped Tony back to reality. It was a big step down from the loud music and conversations that had previously been background noise. He didn’t like the silence; his ears were ringing and the sound of his uneven, shallow breathing was now all too clear to him. Tony somewhat registered Steve asking Jarvis which floor he needed. Tony wanted to be offended that he didn't ask him, but he figured he wouldn't have been able to give him an answer. By then, he barely knew his own name. He didn't know much of anything besides he wanted Pepper.

Steve kept a hand on his back on the way up, and it took every ounce of willpower Tony had left in him not to lean into him. The touch on his back was okay. That was just grounding more than anything, but he didn’t want to go any further than that. Allowing himself to be touched was what got him there in the first place.

He still couldn’t understand how he lost himself so easily. He knew it had been a while, but  _damn_ , that couldn't be all of it. It was just Steve. For whatever reason, Steve had that affect on him. He'd just learned that the hard way. 

It was easier with Pepper. He didn't have to be scared with her, he didn't have to worry about her randomly deciding that he was too much to handle. She was the only person he trusted not to give up on him. She'd seen his best and his worst moments and she'd loved and cared for him through it all. So, that’s who’s presence he was yearning for. Her and Helen were working on something for Helen's practice in Los Angeles, and Tony was _so_ sick of waiting. He was happy that she was happy, that was for sure, but he would be lying is he said he didn't miss having her to himself. That was selfish, even Tony could see that, so he usually refrained from sharing that information with her. That didn't make it any less true. 

“How you doing?” Steve asked gently, pulling Tony out of his thoughts. He’d definitely zoned out again, "You okay?"

He didn’t answer at first, but the feeling of Steve’s hand moving up and down his back brought him back to reality. Even then, all he could do was give a shaky nod and whimper out, “P-Pepper...”

”We’re gonna call Pepper,” Steve assured him as the elevator doors open, revealing Tony’s private suite, “C’mon. Let’s get you settled.”

There was a hint of nervousness in Steve’s voice that Tony managed to pick up on, something Tony wasn't used to. His voice was still gentle enough that Tony felt safe, and he happily allowed Steve to get him settled down on his couch. Standing was becoming a hardship.

Tony sat there for a second, feeling and looking lost. He couldn't quite figure out what it is he was supposed to be doing, and that confusion was beginning to upset him again. Steve knelt down in front of him when he noted that he was starting to hyperventilate, using a finger to lift his chin and force eye contact, "Hey there," he greeted softly when Tony's wide eyes met his, giving him a small smile, "Where's your phone?" 

 _'Oh, yeah,'_   Tony thought to himself, the panic that was just previously rising beginning to die down some,  _'My phone. That's what I'm doing.'_

With shaky hands, he dug in his pockets and pulled out his phone. He didn't bother to unlock it before lying down and curling up on his side. He was still fully dressed in his party attire, which was a sleek, black suit, but he didn’t care. At the moment, it didn't take much for him to be comfortable.

When Steve sat down next to his head, Tony tried his best to ignore it, he really did, but he felt alone and sad and all of the time he'd spent pretending to be someone he wasn't was catching up with him. He needed touch. He could talk to Pepper all he wanted, but that wouldn’t change the fact that she was on the opposite side of the country. And he needed touch. So, he gingerly scooted a little closer so he could lift his head and rest it on Steve's muscular thigh. 

The man didn't react at all besides resting a hand in Tony's hair, earning him a pleased grunt. Tony knew he probably shouldn't be allowing this, let alone actively seeking it out, but it felt good. Besides, he was already this deep in. It's not like it really mattered whether or not he used Steve's thigh as a pillow.

“Jarvis,” Tony whispered once he remembered how to talk, trying to focus on something besides Steve's magical fingers scratching at his sensitive scalp again, “Can you call Pepper?”

“Yes, Mr. Stark,” Jarvis answered him softly, and the phone was ringing almost immediately, "Calling Ms. Potts."


	3. you aren't bad, sweetheart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just so everyone knows, this story will be switching back and forth from Tony to Steve's POV. it will mainly be Tony, though. This is the first chapter from Steve's perspective. enjoy!

Steve was surprised when Tony moved to rest his head on him but chose not to comment on it. By then, Steve was well aware that Tony didn't necessarily want any of this. This was the first time he'd had a conversation with Tony that didn't end with him giving him a snarky comment and walking away. He wasn't expecting to find himself in this situation any time soon. 

Steve didn't necessarily regret touching him on the balcony - if Tony truly didn't want it, he would have stopped him and he definitely wouldn't have relaxed into his hands as he did. The man was obviously as touch starved as they come and in need of some attention. The fact that he accepted it from Steve made it clear that he didn't hate him half as much as he pretended to. Of course, that didn't mean Steve felt any less terrible for accidentally breaking him down like this. It most definitely wasn't apart of his plan to get Tony to open up.

The more Steve learned about Tony's past, the more he understood why Tony was the way he was. He hadn't gotten the full rundown on Tony's history with dominants, but he knew that none of it was very pretty. A lot of abuse had left the Submissive scarred pretty badly. Steve didn't know exactly what all had happened, but he knew enough to know that he couldn't necessarily blame him for carrying himself the way he did. 

He was obviously making himself as undesirable as possible so he wouldn't have to deal with another Dominant. After ending up in an abusive bond, let alone multiple, it was normal for a Submissive to withdraw from other ones. There was an unexplainable level of trust that a Sub's meant to put into their Dom. Sadly, an alarming amount of people break that and contort it into something just...vile. It hurt Steve's heart to think someone could do something like that to Tony. It hurt Steve's heart even more to think that he _wanted_ to be undesirable so none of it could ever happen again.

The  _'undesirable'_ act that Tony kept up wasn't very believable to Steve, but it seemed to work on everybody else. It definitely didn't take Steve long to figure that out. But, like he'd told Tony, he wasn't afraid of him or his attitude. He was prepared to break Tony's walls down brick by brick if he had to. Something just told him that the results would all be worth it. 

Steve looked down at the boy resting his head in his lap, his lips twitching up at the sight. He was just so  _cute_ like this. There was such an innocent aura to him when he wasn't being hellish. Steve wondered if the real him was closer to the way he was now or the way he usually behaved around him.

Tony was antsy while waiting for Pepper to answer his video call, and Steve could sense the anxiety radiating off of him in waves. In an attempt to try and help him stay calm, Steve began to scratch gently at Tony's scalp again.

“Is this okay?” he asked quietly, carefully gauging the Sub’s reactions. He just wanted him to know that he always had a choice. If he didn't want to be touched, then Steve wouldn't touch him. That didn't mean he would be lying if he said he wasn’t relieved when Tony gave a slight nod in response. 

He did relax at first but only tensed more and more the longer the phone rang. When it went to voicemail, Steve’s heart dropped. He didn't have to know Tony like the back of his hand to know that this wasn't good. Pepper was the only person who was really going to be able to help. And of course, she wasn’t picking up. 

Steve was about to offer to call Rhodes for him, who he figured would be his second best bet, but he stopped when Tony launched his phone across the room into a wall. Before he could react to that display of aggression, Tony started to cry. Really, really hard. 

Instinctually, Steve grabbed Tony before he could make a move to break anything else. Based on what he knew about the Sub, he didn't doubt that he had a bad temper. He wasn’t sure if it was okay, but he pulled Tony further up into his lap. He didn’t want Tony hurting himself or damaging anything else in his home. Steve figured that his safety took precedence over everything else.

Steve was expecting to have to restrain Tony, at least a little bit, but much to his surprise Tony didn’t put up a fight. He actually turned around so he could grasp clumsily at Steve’s suit jacket and cry into his stomach.

“Hey, it's okay,” Steve began to comfort him after overcoming his initial shock, wrapping his arms around the boy as well as he could, “Easy, buddy. Pepper will call back.”

“She won’t!” Tony immediately sobbed, his frantic words sounding muffled, “She doesn't have  _time_ for me."

Steve had only heard some of Tony and Pepper's background from Rhodes or others who knew the two of them closely. Their relationship was never romantic or anything like that, but they were very close and she was his acting dominant for years. A few years prior, she had bonded with her new Submissive, a Dr. Helen Cho, and they got engaged not too long after that. They had to adjust their legal status, but from what he knew that was about all that changed. Pepper and her Submissive had their own floor in the tower and she still managed to spend a pretty decent amount of time with him.

Steve was sure that Pepper was doing her absolute best, but Tony was obviously in need of a lot more than what he was getting. If Tony's behavior was the same when she was there as it was when she wasn't, then something needed to give. It didn't seem very fair for anyone in the situation, but he understood that it was the best that could be made of it. Still, just like every Submissive, he deserved someone who could give him their full and undivided attention. Unfortunately, he wasn't going to get that while he was actively running away from it.

“You wanna call Rhodes?” Steve finally asked when Tony didn't seem to be calming down any. He moved his hand back to his hair again since he'd already observed that was something he really liked. He wanted to utilize the little bit of information that he did have as well as he could. 

“Nooo! Not him!” Tony snapped at him yet again, causing Steve to be taken back. Rhodes was his best friend, wasn't he?  Why didn't he want him to be called? Especially when the only other option he had was Steve?

Tony continued to blubber out denials and explanations through his tears while Steve tried to keep up. Eventually, he began to make out  _why_.

Rhodes was his _best friend_. Apparently, Tony just didn't like it when Rhodes had to take care of him. Steve had a feeling that didn't have as much to do with Rhodes not _wanting_ to as it did with Tony's issues with vulnerability. Steve could somewhat understand that - he had a friend from his past that was kind of the same way. However, Steve couldn't help but wonder if this was really the time to listen to Tony. He wasn't thinking clearly, and he probably needed a Dominant who at least kind of knew what he was doing with him...right? 

At the same time, however, Tony would probably be more upset with him for forcing him to drop for a Dominant he didn't want taking care of him than if he just stayed with him. If the way he was clinging to him had anything to do with it, Tony wasn't too uncomfortable with Steve anyway. 

It wasn’t often Steve found himself lost, but this time he was. He wasn't ashamed to admit that he had been trying to get at Tony since he met him. It started off as a challenge, but the more time he spent with him and the more he figured out, the deeper it got.

And it wasn't completely one-sided either. Not if all of the sputtering and blushing Tony did whenever the two of them spoke was anything to go off of. Steve had plenty of patience and time to wait for Tony to come around. He wasn't worried about that. However, he was expecting a lot more time to pass before he ended up with Tony bawling in his lap, nearly inconsolable.

After a moment of thinking, Steve decided to try and wait it out; either Tony would start to relax for him or Pepper would call back and help him handle his emotions. If neither of those things happened soon, then he would reevaluate his options. For the time being, he was as comforting and warm as he could be. From what he could tell, Tony liked to be close. 

“Relax, Tony," Steve shushed him, calling him by his nickname for the first time. He kept one arm wrapped around him while the other hand kept his head cradled against him, "You're gonna be okay."

“Am not!” Tony choked out shaking his head, “Bad. That’s why...'m just  _bad."_

 _'Okay, talking,’_  Steve thought to himself with an inner cheer, ’ _That’s always good.’_ The quicker he got all of the bad thoughts out of his head, the better. Steve knew that he wouldn't be feeling too giddy no matter what, but he still wanted to lighten the load as much as he could. 

“That's what you think, Anthony?” he pressed once he was sure he wasn't going to explain any further, keeping his tone as calm and gentle as ever. He didn’t want Tony to spook and push them three steps backwards, "Why do you think that?"

“Everyone leaves me,” Tony responded in what was practically a whispering tone, sounding utterly miserable. Steve didn't know how to describe his demeanor besides that of an abandoned, scared little boy. He couldn’t help but hug him tighter while he continued. He wasn't sure who the ' _everyone’_   that Tony was referring to was, but he knew he wanted to kick every single one of their asses.

“You aren't bad, sweetheart,” Steve decided to start there, matching his hushed tone to a T. He didn't want either one of them to have to focus on who he was referring to. Talking about what he was feeling was one thing, but he didn't think it was fair for him to have to explain his past trauma to him. They were pretty far off from that point.

“I think you’re a good boy. You just try and make people think you’re not, but you're still good,” Steve continued, giving Tony a quick squeeze. He was never much for believing that there were Submissives who should just be labeled _'_ _bad'._ There were the ones who needed more attention and tough love than others, but he didn't believe there should be  _'bad boy'_ or _'bad girl_ ' categories.

So when Steve told Tony that he wasn't bad, he meant that. Anyone with eyes and a brain could see that he had been through hell. His attitude could use some work, yeah, and maybe he really needed to learn that he wasn't always in charge. A little (or a lot) more one on one attention and a sore bottom definitely couldn't hurt him, but there was still a good boy under there somewhere.

For the first time since he broke down, Tony peaked up enough to look at Steve. It was just so he could look at him like he was crazy, but it was better than nothing.

“Hey,” Steve greeted softly, grinning at the wide-and-wet-eyed Submissive in his lap. He pressed his fingertips against his scalp a little more firmly, smile widening when the tired eyes fluttered shut, "Yeah, you're a good boy."

” _Not_ good,” he managed to stress after a minute, forcing his eyes open again so he could attempt to glare at Steve, “You just dunno yet. You’ll see.”

His words were slurring, causing Steve to bite back a cooing sound. He was slipping further and further away and apparently, he was regressing as he did so.

“Why do you think that?' Steve asked him curiously. He decided not to point out the fact that if anyone had a reason to think he was bad, it was Steve. He'd seen almost nothing but the absolute worst of him up until that day. If he could see that this was a good submissive with a tough past and a lot of baggage, everybody else should have been able to, "Does Pepper tell you that? That you're bad?

“No!” Tony gave him the answer he was expecting without missing a beat. Steve figured that wasn't the case, but he wanted to make sure. 

"She says I'm..." he paused for a moment, obviously trying to force the words out before he just shrugged, "She says what you say." 

It dawned on Steve that he didn't even like say the _word_. Steve's heart broke a little bit more at that. 

"And you think we're both lying?" Steve asked with a raised eyebrow, still smiling at him as he pushed his hair off of his forehead. It had started off neat and slicked back, but all of his petting and combing his fingers through it had caused it to start sticking up. 

Tony went silent for a while after that, obviously not wanting to answer his question. Steve's guess was that he did, indeed, think they were lying to him. He just didn't want to tell him that. 

"I'm just not..." there was another long pause before Tony finally forced himself to say it, "I'm just not  _good._ 's why nobody wants me." 

“You don’t _want_ anyone to want you, Anthony,” he reminded him as gently as he could, continuing to play with his hair, “Even I can see that. I think you have an entire fake personality you hide behind just to make sure that nobody wants you. ”

“The real me is no better,” he grumbled, pushing his face back into Steve’s chest. He obviously wasn’t very interested in what he had to say.

Steve was a little excited to hear Tony admit that the way he usually behaved wasn't the real him, not really. It confirmed Steve's theory. He was about to continue to push when he heard his name called in a deep, British accent, “Mr. Rogers?”

Steve looked around in confusion before he remembered Jarvis, the talking robot who was apparently everywhere in the tower. He didn’t know if he would ever get used to that, “Uh...yeah?”

“Ms. Potts tried to get through on Mr. Stark’s phone, but it seems he’s smashed it. I explained the situation to her and she’d like to call your phone so she can speak with Mr. Stark immediately. Is that okay?” Jarvis asked, causing Tony to beam.

“Pepper!” he exclaimed excitedly before Jarvis even finished speaking, trying to wiggle his way off of Steve’s lap. He paused for a moment when he realized he didn’t know where he was going, “Your phone? Where’s your phone?”

Steve chuckled at the Submissive, shifting just enough to reach in his pocket and pull out his phone. Honestly, he was just as thrilled as Tony was. The Sub looked the happiest he'd ever seen him, and Steve wanted him to be happy.

“Call her!” Tony ordered, even as he resettled in his lap. Steve wanted to reprimand him for being so pushy, but he figured that they weren’t at that level yet nor was this the time. Besides, he sounded so young and cute, he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

“Uh, have her call me, Jarvis,” Steve instructed carefully, handing Tony his phone. When he curled up against his chest again and waited patiently for the phone to ring, Steve felt his heart flutter. He was actively seeking him out for comfort. Intentional or not, that was a start.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one's kind of short (i think?) but another chapter will be up soon. we'll be touching on Tony and Pepper's relationship and learning more about Tony's past in the next couple of chapters. tell me what you think in the comments!


	4. good boy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pepperony!

Tony was practically vibrating with excitement while he waited for Pepper to call, and he let out a little involuntary squeal as soon as the notification of her video call had popped up on the screen. 

“Pepper!” he breathed out with a smile when he saw her face, relieved. His anxiety was bad on a good day, so it was unbearable when he got like this. Due to that fact, he'd pretty much managed to convince himself that Pepper had forgotten all about him and he never would hear from his favorite Domme again. This was a very pleasant surprised for his anxiety-ridden brain.

When her face first appeared on the screen, her expression wore concern, but when she saw the submissive's smile she seemed happy to return it, "Hi, my sweet boy. What's going on?"

Tony's heart warmed at the sound of the familiar nickname.  _Her_ sweet boy. No matter what happened between them or how badly he behaved, he was always still  _her_ sweet boy. He could be as big of a brat as he needed to be and that wouldn't change. That would never fail to make him feel at least a little better. 

“‘m okay,” Tony finally offered once a moment of silence had passed and he hadn't given her an answer, staring at the screen with a goofy grin. Steve had found a spot behind Tony's ear that he specifically liked and was now repeatedly running his fingers over said spot, so Tony was having a hard time focusing. Between Steve's magical fingers and the comfort that Pepper's voice brought to him, he was feeling very content and it was only forcing him down even further.

"You look comfy," she commented casually, her voice warm as she spoke to him, "Is Steve treating you nicely?" 

Pepper had yet to meet Steve, but Tony had told her plenty about him. Of course, she was only hearing bad things about the man, but she knew Tony was exaggerating most of that because Steve scared him. Fortunately for all of them, it wouldn't be long before she got her own impression of the man.

“Mhm,” Tony hummed his assent, smile not faltering at all as he sent a quick glance up the man in question, “Takin’ care of me.”

Tony was too wrapped up in the comfort and his headspace to realize what Pepper was witnessing completely contradicted everything he'd told her about his feelings towards the man. Hell, it completely contradicted everything he'd told  _himself_ about his feelings towards the man. It did, however, confirm that Pepper was more than likely right when she said Tony just needed to give it a chance. 

“I can tell, honey," she chuckled lightly as Tony pushed his head up against Steve's hand like a cat, obviously wanting more friction. This was a side of him that usually only she got to see.

"Where're you?" he mumbled after a moment of comfortable silence, finally managing to take in her visible surroundings. It was fairly dark, and he could hear the barely noticeable murmur of distant conversation in the background, "You busy?" 

"I'm at a dinner party that I've been ready to get away from for ages," she said, smile widening again, "That's why I didn't see your first call, but no, I'm not busy."

Tony wasn't thrilled with that answer; he didn't like feeling like a bother. Knowing he'd pulled Pepper away from a gathering upset him, whether she claimed she was ready to leave or not. It was a small feeling at first, but it wouldn't be long before his anxiety took hold of the thought and ran with it. 

“I miss you a lot, sweet boy," Pepper quickly changed the subject, obviously noting Tony's subtle change in demeanor. They'd been through this a thousand times. Even once he'd started to feel better, it only took the slightest little thing to send him tumbling back down. His brain ran at a million miles a minute and it was always looking for something to find wrong. That was a big part of his problem in the first place. 

“Miss you, more,” he whispered, eyes welling up with tears again at the reminder that she was on the complete other side of the country, “Want you to come home.”

“Oh, I know, Tony,” she comforted sympathetically at the sight of his tears before continuing, “But guess what? I've got a surprise for you.”

Tony was sniffling pitifully, but he perked up a little at the sound of that, "W-what is it?" 

Tony didn't love surprises. He liked to be in the know or it usually threw him for a loop that affected his mood. This one, however, wasn't too bad. 

“Well, I think both you and I could do with some time together," she began, "So, I'll be on one of the jets in about an hour. I should be there by the time you wake up."

She spoke nonchalantly, but Tony knew that she knew what she was doing. At the time, he felt like that was the best news he'd ever received. 

“Really?” Tony almost squeaked, not bothered by how childlike he undoubtedly looked and sounded, “You’re coming? For me?”

“Really,” she confirmed with a soft smile, “For you and you only. I’ll be there around seven. I am expecting you to be _sleeping_ when I arrive, Anthony. Do you understand me?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he answered quietly, his usual qualms about getting enough sleep long forgotten for the time being, “Is Helen coming? Wanna show her some new stuff I’m working on, Pep. She’s coming, right?”

Much to Tony’s dismay, Pepper shook her head sadly, “Sorry, honey. She can’t get away this time. She misses you, too, though. We'll both be back for good in a few more weeks, you can show her everything then.”

“Oh,” Tony breathed out after a moment, crestfallen. Now that he knew she was leaving her actual Submissive to come to him, his excitement was dwindling. Just like that, it was all starting to fall back apart. Everything was okay until there was a moment like this - a moment where he was made painfully aware that his Domme wasn't _really_ his Domme. 

He absolutely loved Helen. She was one of his best friends, but he more than missed having Pepper to himself. Everything was just so much easier then. He didn't have to go Dom-less so often and he really didn’t have to worry about whether he wanted to keep stupid Steve around or not. A part of him knew that he needed to. He simply could not keep on like he had been, but the way he'd been going was so  _safe_. There was nobody he had to worry about hurting him besides himself. That was a comfort he didn't think he was ready to give up.

“You don’t have to come,” Tony finally forced himself to say, making his own stomach turn. The submissive part of him had tears streaming down his face yet again, but his logic and his constant need to not be a bother forced him to continue to lie, “I-I’m fine, Pep, honest. If Helen needs you then I’ll-“

“You will hush, Anthony,” Pepper scolded, sending him a disapproving look through the screen. They'd been there before, “You know that Helen will be just fine for a couple of days. I am coming to see _you_. I told you, I miss my favorite boy.”

Tony was hardly appeased, but he didn't really want to argue with her. At that point, he hardly wanted to do anything. It was dawning on him how incredibly vulnerable he was and all of a sudden he just felt naked and cold. Of course, his need for some kind of warmth had him instinctually scooting closer to Steve.

“Why don't we talk to her about what you were just telling me?” Steve spoke for the first time in a while as he tightened his arms around the boy who was obviously seeking some more comfort, forcing Tony back into reality (well, for the most part), "I think Pepper would like to know how you're feeling."

His mind was still cloudy so the question mostly just confused him; he didn’t really realize what they'd been talking about could potentially get him in trouble until it was too late. 

“Um...” he thought for a second, looking up to Steve with a confused look, “I dunno?”

His heart fluttered a little bit when Steve grinned at him with a fond look in his eyes. He tickled at his sides a little bit as he spoke, “About a certain _someone_ not being a “good submissive. And I doubt she wants a certain _someone_  to feel like that, Anthony.”

“I most definitely do not!” Tony groaned internally at the sound of Pepper’s now unhappy voice squeaking from over the phone, “We have _talked_  about this, Tony. Over and over and over again. You are  _not_ bad. No matter how hard you try to be, you’re not.”

“Don’t have to try,” he grumbled, shooting a glare up at Steve. He didn’t know it at the time, but Pepper had been trying to instill that he was good and loved into his head for years upon years. He'd been scolded, spanked, and even had his mouth washed out with soap for refusing to acknowledge that they weren't true on multiple occasions. It had helped him learn his lesson when it came to unnecessarily expressing those thoughts, but that didn't mean he stopped believing it.  

“Why do you think that?” Steve cut in, completely ignoring the glare being sent his way. Tony wasn't sure, but it seemed like he was trying to save him from Pepper's scolding, “Why do you do that to yourself?”

Tony didn’t have an answer for that, but Pepper cut in before Steve could push for one.

“Because of a few shitty dominants and having Howard _fucking_  Stark for a father, that’s why,” she practically growled, bitterness and anger dripping from her words. Sometimes, Tony thought she hated those people more than him. 

He squirmed a little, forcing himself even closer to Steve as feelings of both regret and shame seeped into him. Now she was mad, and he never wanted Pepper to be mad at him, “I'm sorry, Pep. Don't be mad at me, okay? I won't say it again. Just don't be mad."

Pepper couldn't stay mad at him about anything that wasn't life or death most of the time, even when he really deserved it. Even when she was, she never expressed it very much, so when they got to a point where she sounded angry, Tony tended to work himself up about it. 

She let her tension out in a sigh at his nearly whispered apology before slowly shaking her head, “I’m not upset with you, honey. You're allowed to express how you feel. You don’t have to apologize for that, okay? I shouldn't have snapped at you for telling Steve how you were feeling, but you know how I feel about it."

Tony just sniffled in response, giving her a small nod. In Pepper's book, there was a fine line between 'expressing his feelings' and 'self-deprecation', and he had a feeling that the conversation he'd just had with Steve might have been closer to the latter. What he was not about to do, however, was tell her that. He didn't want her finding a reason to actually be upset with him.  

"What do I tell you about what happened and what they did, hm?” she pushed after a minute, her voice expectant. That was a question he'd heard a thousand times so she knew he knew the answer.

The submissive frowned, squirming uncomfortably against Steve's thighs at the topic of conversation. He didn’t like talking about his past. And he definitely didn’t want Steve to know about everything that had happened to him. If he ever did manage to make it over Tony’s 30-foot emotional wall, his past trauma would send him running for the hills. He didn't want that. For the moment, at least, he wanted Steve to stay.

“You say it’s not my fault,” Tony muttered out the answer he knew so well, sending Pepper a pleading look before he quickly added, “I don’t wanna talk about this right now. Please? Not right now.”

He'd just made it blatantly obvious that it was because of Steve's presence, but he didn't care. He'd rather Steve knew he was hiding something than know  _what_ he was hiding.

She let out another sigh, clearly frustrated but just nodded in understanding, “Okay, sweetheart. We are going to talk about it more when I get there, though, okay?”

“Kay,” he whispered, beginning to both feel and sound utterly miserable. The emotional roller coaster he was riding was beginning to take a toll on him, and he felt like he was about to crash again, “‘m in trouble?”

“Of course you’re not in trouble, Tony,” she assured him quickly, sounding exasperated, “You didn't do anything wrong. You're being a very good boy and I'm proud of you for letting Steve take such good care of you.”

He felt like Steve deserved the praise more than he did, but he didn't speak on it. He didn't have the energy to debate. Everything was just making him feel sadder at that point, but the 'good boy' he'd received still made his heart flutter a little bit but his brain quickly turned it into a reminder that she wasn't there with him.. All of a sudden, he became blatantly aware of how wet and gross his face was. Apparently, he'd never stopped crying.

“I miss you,” he finally sobbed, deciding not to respond what she'd just told him. His chest ached and he was longing for Pepper and the way things used to be, “Miss having you here with  _just_ me.”

Tony usually wouldn’t admit that out loud. He knew it was selfish and he hated putting her in that position, but it was true. And he was too caught up in himself to care how it sounded. It was true.

“I know, sweet boy. Trust me, I know,” she told him softly. Her voice was sad, as it always was when he brought something like this up,  “I’ve told you, no matter what, you’ll always be my boy. I know it’s hard right now, but you know that’s only because I’ve been gone for so long. I’m usually only a phone call away and you know that.”

“I do,” Tony whimpered. He did know that. When Pepper was in New York, she came when he called. No questions asked. Helen didn't mind, and she didn't need half as much attention as Tony required. So when he needed Pepper, she was usually available. But Pepper hadn’t been there in almost three months, so her absence was becoming Tony’s new normal and it was affecting his mental, “Just...miss you.”

“I’ll be there in the morning, baby boy,” she promised again, using another familiar nickname that made Tony blush. Before she could continue, someone outside of the screen caught her attention. He couldn't make out most of the conversation, but he could tell they were talking about her plane. 

As he was waiting patiently, he realized that the fingers in his hair were no longer moving, but instead just resting on his head. It had been a comforting weight, but not as comforting as having his scalp scratched. With a small grunt, he pushed his head up against Steve's hand again to indicate that he wanted him to continue.

"Why'd you stop?" he managed to whine out, but quickly shut up when Steve resumed the comforting touch. There wasn't one singular part of him that cared how absolutely mortifying this should have been. He had no fight left in him.

Steve let out a low, amused sound as he resumed the petting, obviously not caring how pushy the submissive was being, “That's better, your highness?”

Tony just hummed in response to the teasing before a jaw splitting yawn hit him. The drowsiness was starting to catch up with him, but he didn’t _want_  to sleep. He never wanted to sleep. He only time he ever did was when he physically didn't have a choice anymore or when Pepper made him.

Unfortunately for him, unlike the majority of nights for the past few months, Pepper was witnessing him getting sleepier and sleepier during their phone call. She could tell the signs of course. When her side conversation was over, she returned her attention to him and informed him that he needed to go and get ready for bed.

“No, ‘m not tired, Pep!” he whined out his complaint before she could even finish talking, not caring how childish it sounded. He was tired, obviously, but he knew on top of everything else that meant he'd have to get off of Steve and take care of himself for a moment. Or, maybe all night. Would Steve leave? Tony didn't really want him to. He wouldn't admit that out loud, but he wanted him there. At least until Pepper got home. 

“You are tired, Anthony. I don’t want an argument out of you,” she told him sternly, using a voice that he fully knew meant business, “Go and get out of that suit and into something comfortable for bed, please and thank you.”

“But, Pep!” Tony continued to whine out, not noting the tone of authority in her voice. He didn’t  _want_ to sleep. Half of the time, the only thing waiting on him were nightmares, anyway. He was never in a rush to face one of those.

“Anthony, you will go to bed or it will  _not_ be a pleasant morning for you,” she threatened, tone deathly serious. This was regarding Tony's well being (well, at least a little bit) and she took stuff like that very seriously. “If I get there tomorrow and I find out you haven’t even tried to sleep, you will have a very sore bottom. Do you understand me?”

Even a clear-headed Tony absolutely hated when Pepper threatened him, and he hated it ten times more when she did it in front of someone else. It was worse with Steve because he really didn't want the Dominant to see him getting in trouble. It would just be a reminder to the man of how much of a brat he was.

“Yes, ma’am,” he whispered with a little sob, beginning to force himself out of Steve’s lap. He didn't want to go to bed, but he didn't want the first thing Pepper had to do when she got there the next morning to be spanking him for petty disobedience. He could be better than that, and in this state, he actually wanted to be,  “S-sorry. I’m goin’.”

“That’s my good boy,” she praised in a much softer tone then she was just previously using. Despite the fact that he wasn't happy with what she'd told him to do and how she told him to do it, those words were nice to hear. No matter how hard he tried not to, he still always wanted to be a good boy and it was always nice to hear it. Even if he didn't think it was all that true.

“I want to talk to Steve for a minute," she announced as Tony began to try and sit up, voice soft, "Go and get ready for bed and then he’ll give the phone back.”

Tony was crying as he nodded, not happy about being sent off while they undoubtedly talked about him. What if Steve was just about to complain about how he'd been treating him? What if he got him in trouble with Pepper? What if he wouldn't even give the phone back so Tony could tell her bye? None of this sounded pleasant to the slowly regressing and heartbroken submissive.

Tony was about to try and convince Pepper that he didn't want to leave the phone because he needed to keep talking to her, but then he was made aware of Steve's hand still in his hair. The elder man gave his tresses a light tug to get his attention and smiled at him when tear-filled eyes met his.

"It's alright," his deep voice comforted, his chest rumbling under Tony. Looking in his eyes and hearing him speak like that again made Tony want to melt. He didn't know what it was, but Steve made him feel safe. He made him feel like it was, indeed, alright, "Go on and get ready for bed. When you've done that, I promise you will get the phone back, okay?" 

Tony was nodding and handing him his phone before he even fully processed the question. His tone was just so calm and sweet and he  _promised._  Tony's brain was clearly deciding to trust this large, ancient, behemoth of a man and he was in no position to fight it. There was still a little fear creeping around in the back of his mind that reminded him that Steve could easily just hang up the phone and have his way with him, but he forced it down. Steve wouldn't. He just...wouldn't.

Blinking away some of his tears so his vision would unblur, Tony began to remove himself from Steve's lap. He hated having to leave the comfort almost as much as he hated leaving Pepper with Steve, but he wanted to obey. Besides, the quicker he was done and in bed the quicker he could talk to Pepper again. Maybe Steve would even go back to petting him while they talked. He figured he was being hopeful at that, but he wanted something to look forward to. 

Once he was up, Steve gave him another grin along with a small nod, "Good boy." 

Tony's insides squirmed at the praise. Pepper called him a good boy all the time, but this was somehow different. This time he nearly believed it, and he wanted to hear it again. He didn't know how or why, but he  _needed_ to hear it again. Over and over and over again.

Being good was never his forte, but...maybe he could learn? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tony's being such a sub lol. won't last for long, but it's fun to write. 
> 
> trying to decide whether or not I want to keep the slow burn tag lol. it's definitely about to slow down, but i don't know if i can hold off long enough for it to be considered an actual slow burn. 
> 
> anyway, happy comments make a happy me which makes an inspired me :)


	5. you have my blessing.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve really gets to meet Pepper. She's not too sure how she feels about him.

_"Good boy."_

Steve didn’t really intend to openly praise Tony like that, but he couldn't help it. Right in front of him, there was an obviously sad submissive who was obediently doing what he was told despite the fact that it upset him even further. How was he supposed to just sit back and ignore that? Despite the fact that Tony wasn't his submissive nor was he even the one who gave him the order, the soft ‘good boy’ felt right. 

The events of the night seemed to have Tony developing a liking for Steve, but he knew that was mostly just because he was taking care of him and not hurting him. That surpassed his poor, neglected brain’s standards by far, Steve was sure, so it had him growing a temporary attachment to the man who’d been so gentle with him.

Still, he didn't miss the way Tony's eyes lit up at the praise, nor did he miss how he seemed much more eager to obey Pepper afterward. He nearly skipped down the hallway towards what Steve could only guess was his bedroom instead of dragging his feet like he obviously previously intended to. He was still quite teary, but he was eager to please. Steve figured with the right amount of attention and some time, that could become a common trait of his. 

“Is he gonna be okay?” Steve still couldn’t help but ask quietly after he was sure Tony was out of hearing range, turning his attention to the ginger woman on the screen. He didn't like the idea of leaving such an obviously heartbroken sub to his own devices, but he figured Pepper knew what she was doing with Tony far better than he did. Still, Steve had to force himself to stay seated on the couch instead of following behind him.

“He’s embarrassed and he doesn't want to go to sleep, but he’ll be fine for a few minutes,” she spoke, sounding sure of herself before her demeanor suddenly changed, “Now, what  _happened_?”

The question came out as a hiss that made even a tough, hardened Dominant like Steve shiver. The tone she was just using with Tony was nothing like this one, even when she was scolding him. This was a tone of flat out anger, and it became clear to Steve that it was directed at him.

“I don’t know, exactly,” he admitted, keeping his voice level even as he met Pepper’s sharp glare. He’d done nothing wrong, after all, and he was not about to allow himself to be grilled like he was her submissive, “We were out on the balcony and we were talking.”

“What did you  _do_?” She pushed before Steve could explain any further, sounding impatient. It dawned on Steve that she thought he _hurt_ Tony, hence why she sounded so angry.

He thought back to the conversation he’d just witnessed a couple of moments ago and how Pepper had told Tony that what had happened to him wasn't his fault. By then, Steve had pretty much figured out that Tony had been abused, but that was all the confirmation he didn’t need. He had to stop himself from flat out asking about it right then and there but when Tony practically begged Pepper to change the subject, he figured it wasn't the time. If Tony didn't want him to know, which he very clearly didn't, then it wasn't his place to know. That required a level of trust Steve figured they had a while to reach. He didn’t mind waiting, but he still hoped it would be sooner than later when he got a better look at the sub’s past. 

So, it was obvious to him that if he  _had_ hurt Tony, it wouldn't be the first time something like that had happened. 

“Nothing,” Steve told her calmly, making sure to keep any and all defensiveness out of his voice. He definitely didn't enjoy the third degree that he was getting but he could understand why she was so overprotective. If he was in her position, he would probably be ten times worse. He hardly even knew Tony but by then, he felt like he could kill for him if necessary. Deep down, he couldn’t help but be scared of how protective of him he’d be if he actually could claim him.

“All we did was talk for a little while," Steve assured Pepper when all she did was give him an unimpressed stare, clearly not believing a word he was saying despite his sincerity, "That's all. He pushed at me like he always does, so I was going to leave him be and give him some space but he asked me to stay with him. So, I did." 

"He  _asked_?" Pepper questioned before he could, disbelief lacing her words. Steve barely stopped himself from chuckling at that because he was originally just as surprised as her. Expressing what he actually wanted was very clearly not in Tony’s nature, “Is he drunk?”

“Yeah, he did and no, he’s not,” Steve confirmed, not being able to help but laugh this time. He couldn't ignore the way he felt something warm in his chest swell knowing that he was able to get such a rare action out of Tony, “He didn’t really…use his words to ask, but I was about to walk away and he told me to wait.”

From what Steve could see of Pepper’s face, she looked absolutely dumbfounded. Steve figured that this wasn’t typical behavior for Tony so he predicted that there would be some initial disbelief, but he didn’t really expect her to be so shocked that she was speechless.

“He, uh…apologized, too. For the way he’s been acting,” Steve continued once he realized Pepper wasn’t going to speak, only shocking her more. He understood; that part was the most stunning for him, too.

Pepper was silent for a moment as she seemed to process that information. It was surprisingly hard for Steve to believe that this was such unusual behavior for Tony that it caused this reaction in his former Domme. He was surprised, too, sure, but he’d only known Tony for a little over a month and he’d only saw his behavior whilst he was unsupervised. Pepper had known him for much longer and much more personally and she was  _still_  dumbfounded.

With the way he’d seen Tony act prior to their moment on the balcony, it shouldn’t have been such a hard pill to swallow for him, but it was near impossible to believe that the sweetheart who’d just been curled up in his lap could possibly be such a brat that offering a simple apology was so far out of his character. Steve supposed there was even more of Tony to learn than he originally thought. Still, deep down, Steve felt good and proud about his ability to get a previously scared and untrusting submissive to want to connect when he was hardly even trying. 

Okay, well, maybe not 'hardly trying', but he definitely wasn't giving it his all. And once he started to drop, all of Steve's previous flirtatious behavior went out of the window. He wasn't about to try and pursue a sub while he technically wasn't even in his right mind. He was in a vulnerable position and Steve would never take advantage of that, but he still needed to be a good Dom, whether Tony was his or not. And in this particular occurrence, that meant coddling and petting Tony to help him relax. 

And it felt right, too. Despite the fact that he barely even knew him. Tony just fit so perfectly into his arms and loved the attention just as much as Steve loved giving it to him. Steve hadn't had very many subs, not of his own, but he'd done a lot of working with them before and after he came out of the ice. None of them had ever felt so perfect in his arms before, and he knew it  _had_ to mean something. 

It felt right, and Steve felt privileged. Because why did this beautiful and sweet and broken boy's heart decide  _Steve_  was the one to let in? Not completely, not yet, but he'd made it much further than a lot of other Dominants in his position. Of course, a lot of them were dicks, but he still felt special in a way he never had before. 

A flicker of excitement and hope forced him to bite back a goofy smile. As good as it all seemed, he had to remind himself that this was not, nor was it ever going to be, that easy. He had to slow himself to Tony's pace, however slow that may be. And he knew it would be a while. As much as he loved the side of Tony he was getting to see, he would be back to bratting and pushing and fighting him at every turn by morning. 

Steve wanted to skip that part. Any Dom who'd dealt with a submissive who'd been damaged like this one wanted to skip that part. It just didn't work like that. But Steve didn't care. 

He had all of the time in the world, and he knew whatever the endgame was, it would be worth it. He had a good feeling about this, and his gut never failed him. Tony was meant to be his - to heal and to love - and he had every intention of making that a reality. Well, as soon as Tony would let him, of course. 

Pepper was running her hands through her hair while Steve was pining like a little boy, and a deep sigh pulled his attention back to the screen. She seemed both frustrated and relieved by what Steve had told her, and he could tell the thought of him hurting Tony had obviously been plaguing her for a while now. 

"I'm sorry," she offered her apology after another stretch of silence. She made eye contact again, and this time the fire-like-rage that had previously resided there was gone, "I shouldn't have assumed you did wrong. Its just...it wouldn't be the first time, and he's not always the best about..." 

"It's okay," Steve cut her off, not really wanting to hear another word about anyone hurting Tony, "I understand. But just so you know, I would never hurt him." 

He would never let anybody else hurt him either, not again, but he didn't voice this thought to Pepper. 

For the first time since he'd been on the phone, Pepper seemed to actually look at him. Not glare in an angry or accusatory fashion, but just actually take a look at him. After a moment, her features softened further and she smiled, "You know, I've heard a lot about you, Mr. Rogers." 

Steve's lips twitched up at the ends at that and he felt himself relax some, "Nothing but  _great_ things, I'm sure?" 

Of course, he was being sarcastic. That was probably the last thing she was hearing. Nonetheless, he couldn't help but be glad that Tony had brought him up to her at all. No matter what Tony was telling her, that had to count for something. 

She clearly noted the sarcasm because she laughed genuinely at that, "Honestly, for Tony? They _have_ been pretty great." 

That same warm feeling bloomed in Steve again, and he prayed that the heat he felt in his face was not a blush. That woman who knew him and his ways the best seemed to think that Tony liked Steve back. It made him feel like a kid again, but Steve would be lying if he said the thought alone didn't make him smile. 

"I'm not sure you'd have such great things to say about him, though," she continued, sounding much grimmer, "I'm sorry for the way I'm sure he's been treating you. It scares him when people try to get close, so he lashes out. It's nothing personal." 

Steve understood. If Tony made himself seem unloveable, then nobody could get close to him and make that decision for themselves. It was flawed and unhealthy, but Steve understood. 

"He hasn't been too bad," Steve lied, shrugging, "Nothing I can't handle, at least. Besides, I get why he may want to act like that. It's nothing to apologize for."

Pepper seemed upset about the whole thing, but Steve figured this had to be a stressful situation for her. Tony needed more than she could give him and deep down, she probably knew that. It wasn't quite her fault - her hands were more than full - but Steve imagined that there was an underlying sense of guilt from not being able to do more. Once again, he understood. 

"Thanks, Steve," she told him quietly before changing the subject, "And thank you for taking care of him. He would have tried to get through this alone if you wouldn't have, and that just does more damage than anything. It seems like you did really good with him. So just...thank you." 

This wasn't news to Steve. He _knew_ he did great with him and that was part of the reason this felt so right. Being able to have Tony almost completely calmed down from his previous fit before even getting Pepper on the phone was a feat, and Steve didn't care if it made him sound cocky to acknowledge that.

"It's no problem, honest. I wasn't about to just leave him out there, and I'm not totally blameless here," Steve admitted, feeling a barely-there-but-still-there pang of guilt. After all, Tony probably would still be downstairs enjoying the party if Steve would have just kept his hands to himself. 

"He's not drunk, Steve," Pepper reaffirmed. When Steve didn't say anything, she pushed, "Right?" 

"Right." Steve confirmed, not realizing that she was expecting an answer, "He just had a few beers, I think." 

"Then you have nothing to apologize for," she assured him quickly, "If he didn't want you touching him, trust me, he would not have let you touch him. You couldn't have known he'd react like this. It isn't your fault." 

Steve figured that was true all along, but this time he accepted it and confirmed so with a quick nod. Curiosity began to overtake him before the subject could change, though, and he couldn't help but ask something. 

"Is he...Does he always go down like that?" Steve almost immediately regretted asking, feeling like he was poking around in Tony's head behind his back. But still, he was curious. And besides, this was information he needed, "I mean, I didn't even see it coming. I figured out he was dropping before I could even tell he was in his 'space." 

"Yeah, he does that when it's been a while," she sighed out, her tired eyes now focused on something off-screen, "I'm not there to help him and he won't ask Rhodey, so he was trying to hold out until I got back, I'm guessing. I should have called Rhodey myself and told him he needed help, but Tony just  _hates_ it so much..." 

"You can't blame yourself," he comforted. It really wasn't her fault, Tony just needed more attention than she had to give him. And he didn't want anyone else to give it to him. The only way she could force him into anything would be to go through the legal system and get him deemed unfit. It was a long, extensive process that would just end with Tony resenting her, the dominant he'd been paired with, and anyone else who had anything to do with it. Steve didn't have to know the sub personally to know that he'd just end up making everyone else as miserable as him until he got his way. 

"From what I'm seeing, you're doing your best," he assured her, "But you can only do so much, especially from across the country. And he's not making it easy." 

"It's not his fault," Pepper quickly defended, some of the earlier fire coming back into her tone, "He's not that bad." 

"I know," Steve quickly appeased her, tone soothing as he continued, "I know he's not. That isn't what I meant. I'm just saying, don't beat yourself up when you're doing the best you can." 

Once again, Pepper visibly deflated with a sigh and nodded, "Thanks, Steve. For everything, really. I don't want to think about what could have happened if you would have let him go down on his own." 

"It's no problem, Pepper, honestly. I would never just let a shocky sub roam around a party on his own," Steve assured, mildly annoyed by the fact that what he did could be considered anything besides basic human decency. Even if he wasn't interested in Tony, he would have helped take care of him or found someone who could.

"Besides," he added before she could speak, "It's been a while since I've got to take care of somebody. I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy it." 

And enjoy it he definitely did. Just like subs need to be taken care of, Doms need someone  _to_  take care of. That's where the balance lied and that's what he'd been trying to explain to Tony out on the balcony. There was a balance that needed to be kept, and that's why they bonded.

"First time since you've been back?" she asked, amused, "Because I think that may classify as more than just _'_ _a while'_." 

Steve let out a genuine laugh at that, glad to hear Pepper sounding less miserable and willing to joke around with him. It was the first time he'd got to really do anything Dom-like since he came out of the ice a little over a year ago, but he didn't voice that. He just didn't want her to ask why he'd refrained from finding someone until now because he'd barely made sense of that on his own. Not yet, at least. So, instead of giving an actual response to that, he just laughed and agreed with her. 

If it wasn't for someone calling her name, she probably would have pushed but she didn't get the chance. Steve heard the quiet conversation for a minute before Pepper was standing up and heading to where Steve figured she'd be getting ready to board her plane. 

"When do you need to leave?" she asked Steve, not bothering to put the camera back on her before she spoke, "I'm gonna get a hold of Rhodey and see if he can come up there. I don't want him to be left alone tonight." 

"I mean..." Steve started, thinking over his plans for the following morning before confirming, "I don't  _have_ to leave." 

There was a pause in Pepper's movement and shortly after, her face was back on the screen. The look she was giving him was wary and Steve knew that the trust issues were about to come back to play, so he quickly continued.  

"I understand why you wouldn't want me to stay here with him," he told her in a rush because he really did. If he was in her position, he wouldn't want someone he'd never even met staying with his sub either, "You have no reason to trust me, but as I've already made clear, I have no intentions of hurting Anthony. But he's also told me about how he doesn't like it when Rhodes has to take care of him, and I don't want to make him any more miserable than he already is."

Pepper had only just mentioned something along those lines concerning Rhodes, so Tony not liking him having to take care of him couldn't have been new information to her. Steve's words just seemed to serve as a reminder. 

"It's up to you," he told her softly when she still didn't speak. It _wasn't_ his choice and he had no intention of making her feel as if it was. He was sure that if asked, Tony would prefer his presence to Rhodey's, which is why he didn't bother saying that it was up to him. He wasn't in the best state of mind to be making his own decisions, so it was up to Pepper to make the choice that she thought would be in the sub's best interest. Steve was just about to apologize for even bringing it up when Pepper finally spoke.

"Okay, listen, I _think_ I like you, and I  _think_ I believe that you won't hurt him, but you listen to me, Steve Rogers," Pepper spoke after a stretch of quiet, her voice deathly serious and her facial expression matching it perfectly, "If I find out that you even  _considered_ doing anything to or with him that you  _know_ he can not properly consent to right now, if there is a single hair out of place or a mark on that boy, so help me  _God_ , I will make sure you never enjoy another day of your life without feeling whatever pain you inflict on him. I don't give a damn  _who_ you are. Is that clear?" 

Steve was a six-foot, two-hundred-something-pound fucking super-soldier. There were very few people living that he couldn't beat in hand to hand combat and for the most part, he feared nobody. But at that moment, right then and there, he was embarrassed to admit that he kind of feared the hell out of Pepper Potts. He wasn't quite sure what she could do to him, but he was sure that if he were to hurt Tony, she'd do whatever it took to follow through on her promise. It was a good thing he had no intentions of finding out. 

Before he could decide if he was annoyed with the way she'd threatened him or amused by her mama-bear-like protective nature, the familiar British voice rang out throughout Tony's living room (Steve wasn't sure if the enormous open space he was in that connected to a kitchen and dining room area could be considered a living room, but that was his best guess), interrupting his thoughts. "Excuse me, sir?" 

It took the words a moment to register, his mind still stuck between being threatened by Pepper and pining over Tony, but once they did, he blinked hard a few times and replied, "Yes?" 

"Mr. Stark would like the both of you to know that he's ready for bed and for you to give him the phone back," Jarvis announced, sounding wary, "I must let you know that he hasn't exactly done what you've asked of him..."

This time, he did laugh and it was loud and openly. It had barely been five minutes since Tony'd left - he doubted that the sub had even managed to get out of his suit and into sleep attire by then. Nevertheless, it was entertaining and adorable that he was already calling for them again. 

"I meant what I said, Steve," Pepper repeated without acknowledging what they'd been told, a hint of steel residing in her tone and her eyes still boring into Steve through the screen, "He's been through enough." 

"I'm sure he has," Steve agreed, deciding that working through her over-protectiveness now would be best. After all, he wasn't going to hurt Tony and once she saw that she'd more than likely lay off. He was going to both want and need her blessing in the future, so he wasn't about to piss her off now, "Like I've told you, I understand your concern, but I like Tony and I hope you'll see that I have no bad intentions when it comes to what I'm doing here or with him in the future."

"It's not going to be an easy future, Steve," she stressed, calmer but still firm in what she was explaining to him, "I see what you're doing. And I'm not trying to scare you away, but if you're interested in him like I think you are, then you need to know that he's about to put you through hell and high water before he even begins to let you in. And I don't want you to stick around just long enough for him to accept that he likes you, too, and then take off because he's too much to handle. So, I'm telling you as early as I possibly can, you make sure you're really going to be all the way in this. Because he doesn't deserve someone who can't handle him, and you don't deserve someone you can't handle. Okay?" 

Some odd and small part of Steve wanted to laugh again. The sub he was after apparently came with a warning label. 

Still, he didn't care. He knew what he was getting himself into. Maybe not fully and by every single detail, but he knew, and he was prepared. Tony had endless potential when paired with the right Dominant, and Steve knew he was the right person for the job. By the looks of it, he may have a few grey hairs (or more like a head full) by the time Tony's where he wanted him to be, but it would still be worth it.

Steve Rogers was persistent, and he was by no means a quitter. Tony was a challenge meant for him and he was going to prove it. 

"All due respect, ma'am," Steve started, making the best eye contact he could hold through his phone before he continued confidently, "I don't know who all has failed Tony before, but I promise you that I'm nothing like those excuses for Doms, Pepper. I've heard all of his horror stories. I've seen the way he treats people and I'd be an idiot not to know that there are about a thousand pounds of baggage behind the wall he's got put up. I've been paying a lot of attention this last month or so. Now, of course, I don't know all of it. I probably don't even know the half of it, but I'm willing and excited to learn him the way you've had the privilege to. I know what I'm getting myself into. I know it's not about to be a walk in the park. But I also know that I'm far from weak, I've got a helluva lot of patience, and I am  _not_ going to hurt him. I'm aware of what I'm doing, and I'd appreciate it if you'd allow me the chance to work on him. Is that okay with you?" 

Pepper seemed intrigued as she listened and processed what he was telling her, and much to his surprise, she seemed to relax by the time he was finished. She stared at him again for a moment, appraising him before she allowed a small smile to play on her lips, "Okay, Steve. You have my blessing." 

Despite the fact that he was a grown man and so was Tony, that was still great news to hear. Pepper was apparently the most important person in Tony's life, so if she didn't like Steve that would put quite a damper on things. It wouldn't have stopped Steve - like stated before, they were adults - but it was still better to have Pepper on his side. 

"Thank you," he breathed out, sounding much more grateful than he was wanting to portray, "I don't take that lightly." 

"Good. You shouldn't," she spoke bluntly before continuing in a somewhat lighter tone, "Oh, and just a heads up? Enjoy your time with the adorable and cuddly him tonight, because when he wakes up clear-headed and realizes how vulnerable and close he was with you, there's gonna be hell to pay. For all of us." 

Steve barked a laugh as he began to push himself off of the couch, heading in the direction of Tony's quarters, "Well, of course. I wouldn't have expected anything else." 

And he didn't, either. He knew that this encounter was going to push him five steps back with Tony because the sub would need to reestablish his boundaries, which had been kind of been crossed without his full consent. It was for his own good, but it didn't matter. In a way, Tony had lost his sense of control and he was going to need to regain it. For now, though, he was floating and adorable and dependent, and Steve was going to eat that up for every possible second. He could deal with the  _'hell to pay'_ part of this in the morning.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sooo sorry for the wait! for a while, I didn't have any internet in my house and then I broke my laptop charger, but now I'm back and hoping to keep up with the inspiration i'm feeling to very quickly get through the next couple of chapters. 
> 
> as usual, leave behind reviews and kudos! chapter 6 coming soon!


	6. stupid steve.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sleepy, adorable, cuddly, well-past-subspace Tony meets Pining, tactile, adoring, reassuring Steve. 
> 
> Honestly mainly fluff.

Tony didn't  _want_ to get ready for bed. He  _wanted_ to keep cuddling with the oddly sweet behemoth on the couch and talk to Pepper. It didn't matter what he wanted, though, not then and not to Pepper. She was adamant about him getting enough sleep, something he tended to ignore until he couldn't anymore, but he couldn't fight her this time. It was late and he was stuck in a fuzzy and floaty headspace where he just wanted to  _please_ and be a good boy. Unfortunately for him, pleasing and being a good boy meant getting ready for bed. So, he did. 

Okay, well he didn't. But he tried. Kind of. 

By the time he'd made it to his room, he just wanted to crash onto the leather sofa placed conveniently in the middle of the room and call it a day. Not because it was a particularly long walk from the living area to his bedroom (his floor was big but it wasn't that big), but because he was just so drained. That didn't mean he wanted to sleep, because he definitely didn't, but it did mean he'd just rather be curled up with stupid Steve. 

Stupid, stupid Steve. In his current state, Tony was starting to take a liking to that name, despite its childish implications, because it helped him express his conflicted feelings towards the man. It fit because Steve was okay...he liked Steve and Steve was taking good care of him even though he didn't have to and maybe he was warm and the best man Tony had ever met. But he was also the fucking _worst_ because his very presence forced Tony to face things he'd been ignoring for years. So, yeah, stupid fucking Steve.

Unfortunately, stupid Steve's lap was still calling his name, though. He couldn't help it when tears began to spill out of his eyes again as he thought about how  _his_ Pepper was in there talking to stupid Steve (undoubtedly about him) while he was in his room, alone, feeling sorry for himself. 

The rational portion of his brain knew that the quicker he made it into bed, the quicker he could have his way. And at first, he tried to listen to his rational brain.

So, he scrubbed at his face with his hands to remove all of the built-up tears and snot (and left his face looking even more of a mess) and tried to suck it up. Sucking it up was often one of his best qualities, so he figured that wouldn't be too hard. 

He figured wrong.

He did try to undress. He even made it out of his blazer and took his belt off before he flopped back down on the couch, exhausted and crying and just wanting to be cuddled again. He was too far down and tired to properly take care of himself, whether he liked it or not, and his inability to do as he was told was frustrating. 

Tony hated it when he was forced to be dependent. Sometimes even with Pepper. Being this far down made him feel horrible and he was starting to hate himself for allowing it.

But he couldn't, not completely and not when he was in such a state. Because Steve was nice and his touch was nice and he hadn't felt anything so great in what felt like forever. He didn't hate him and he didn't hate that he was there. He just really, really wanted to, and he hated himself because he couldn't. He'd rather just keep being Pepper's. Even if she wasn't his, it was still safer than being Steve's. 

And Pepper would be back soon. That wouldn't change the fact that he was sharing her, but she'd still be back there with him. A familiar pang of guilt hit him as he was forced to remember that this wasn't very fair for her. Or Helen. Both of them swore that they didn't mind; they were happy in their situation, but Tony couldn't believe that. He was permanently third-wheeling, and he spent most of his time rationalizing his actions so he didn't have to think about what was going to happen when they decided they _weren't_ happy in their situation anymore. Because then he'd just be alone. 

Not wanting to end up alone was a lousy reason to find a Dominant according to Pepper, though. She repeatedly assured him that she wasn't going anywhere, any time soon, and for the most part, Tony didn't doubt that (he did doubt that she could predict the future, though). Her argument was that he needed to find a Dom for  _him_ , not because he felt like he  _had_ to or Pepper wanted him to. Unfortunately for both of them, those were the only two reasons he found acceptable to find a Dom. Because, of course, he was  _fine_ without one. 

When he was this far down, though, he knew better. The facade had fallen away along with all of his dignity, he knew that he did need someone to take care of him. He physically and mentally  _needed_ somebody to care for him, no matter how much he fucking hated it. And Pepper knew that, too. In fact, she knew it better than him because she  _always_ knew. Even when Tony was having one of his bad days and insisting that he didn't need her to stick around if she didn't want to - that he wasn't a charity case - she knew. Even though he knew better, he still couldn't help but wonder if she was only there for him because she knew nobody else would be. That irrational thought made him cry harder. 

It took him a little while of just quietly sobbing into the couch cushions before he realized he was going to have to call for Steve and Pepper eventually. Pepper previously set up a 'Baby Sitting Protocol' through Jarvis that did just that - babysat. If Tony was alone and dropping or doing anything that could cause himself harm, Jarvis would alert her, no matter where she was at. Unfortunately, after a few weeks of Pepper not being in the tower, Tony managed to disable it without her finding out. She still didn't know, and he'd probably be in trouble when she found out, but at that moment he didn't really care. He was too busy wishing he'd never disabled it because that would have been  _much_ easier. 

 "Jarvis," he managed to croak out after a moment, accepting that nobody would be coming to check on him for a while, "Could you tell 'em I'm ready?" 

Tony was fairly comfortable in the fact that Pepper wouldn't be upset with him for not being able to get himself to bed. He just needed help. Pepper wouldn't be mad about that.

"Yes, Mr. Stark," Jarvis answered easily, the A.I's voice soothing and low as if he was a real person who could tell Tony was distressed. He was glad he made such an intuitive robot, "Just a moment. 'A moment' lasted forever for Tony and he was just beginning to wonder if Steve took off when he heard footsteps and talking in the hallway. After a moment, the sound became clearer and Tony made out Pepper giving him directions to his room. He didn't think the layout was too confusing himself, but he'd also been there for years. 

Another beat passed and Steve poked his head through the doorway of Tony's room. It didn't take long before his blue eyes landed on Tony's red-rimmed brown ones and he was shooting the sub an amused smile. 

"I don't think that quite counts as ready for bed, Anthony," Steve lightly scolded as he caught sight of the sub still sprawled out across the couch. He sounded stern, but Tony could mostly tell he was just teasing, "Considering how you're not even  _in_ your bed." 

"How'd I know..." he heard Pepper's voice from the phone in his hand and a smile spread across his face. Her tone held the same exasperated fondness she used so often on him and it had him making impatient grabby hands at the phone within seconds, his previous turmoil forgotten now that he was no longer alone. 

Steve chuckled as he handed the phone off to him, watching fondly as Tony grinned at the camera, "Pepper." 

"Anthony," she spoke back to him, matching his soft tone with a warm smile, "We told you that you'd get the phone back." 

To that, all Tony did was nod. Deep down, he knew it was illogical to think that Pepper would ever do anything that could even be compared to leaving him. She was the only person close to him because she was the only person he could be sure wasn't going anywhere. Pepper had been taking care of him for over ten years by then and she'd witnessed both of the relationships that ruined him. And then she picked up the pieces of the broken Tony. Maybe she hadn't done a completely _perfect_ job of putting him back together, but damn it, she tried. And she took care of him, whether it meant canceling plans or blistering his backside or cuddling him or basically putting her life on hold for  _years_ just so she could try and make sure that he was okay. God, he loved his Pepper. And he could never repay her. 

Or maybe he could. But that would probably involve letting go. And he wasn't ready to do that.

“Love you,” he mumbled, letting his face fall against the pillow he was gripping and swallowing back the guilt. He was ready for her to be back already. He'd missed her. 

“I love you, more,” she responded like it was second nature, before playfully adding, “You’re ready for bed, huh?”

Tony shrugged sheepishly, not wanting to explain that he was too out of it to get himself undressed, “Couldn't do it.”

Her smile didn't fall but it became more sympathetic as she added, "It's okay. Thank you for trying, sweetheart." 

He didn't have much to offer back to her besides a smile and an unintelligible yet affirmative hum in response to her. He knew she'd understand.

A low chuckle came from the other end of the couch, reminding him of Stupid Steve’s presence. He kind of wanted to tell him to get out, but he mostly just wanted him to sit down so he could snuggle back up in his lap. He wouldn’t admit that, though. Not yet.Before he could act on either one of those thoughts, the oh-so-gentle super soldier was grabbing him by his left ankle and untying his shoe for him.

The gesture made Tony swoon. This new and oddly vulnerable moment was something Tony definitely didn't mind. Steve was taking care of him, and he loved the feeling of being taken care of. Although, he didn't quite remember ever loving it this much. Steve had the best touch he ever felt.

“It would make me very happy if you’d actually try and get some sleep tonight, Tones,” Pepper continued after a moment of silence, probably sick of watching Tony just stare at Steve in awe. 

"Not tired," Tony distractedly protested, still watching Steve's movements and actually flinching a little (or a lot) at the solid 'thud' sound his shoe made when it hit the floor. Tony blushed profusely, embarrassed by how worked up he was. He was waiting for Steve's signature amused chuckle, but it never came. Instead, he just gave a comforting squeeze to his ankle before gently dropping his left foot and reaching for his right. 

Tony's heart swelled without his permission. Steve had barely even done anything, but the slightest, gentle and caring gestures were sending Tony head over heels for this stupid man he'd been running from and he could hardly even help himself. He was so far down he found himself wondering what the hell he was so afraid of.

He wasn't so far down that he truly couldn't remember the _why_ , though. His brain only granted him a few moments of peace before it forcefully reminded him of what there was to be afraid of. Steve seemed different, but that didn't mean he was. That didn't mean he didn't still want to curl up and fall asleep against his chest, because he most definitely did. He just wished he didn't.

"You're exhausted. You have to get some sleep, Anthony, or you're not gonna feel any better," she reasoned when Tony didn't offer anything else, "Do you want Steve to stay with you or do you want me to call Rhodey?" 

"I'm not t-...huh?" Tony was about to continue to protest before he realized the question he was asked. Someone was gonna stay with him? And stupid Steve was an option? He wasn't really expecting that.

“I don’t want you staying by yourself tonight,” Pepper tentatively explained, walking on eggshells in a way Tony had long become accustomed to when she was about to tell him something she thought he would oppose. Luckily for both of them, this time she thought wrong.

“I don’t want to stay by myself either,” he whole-heartedly agreed, jerking at the sudden reminder that it was really late and Pepper still wouldn’t be home for _hours_ and being alone didn't sound appealing at all, "Don't feel good, Pep."

For the most part, Tony had grown accustomed to spending most of his time alone. He didn’t always have the best coping mechanisms when it came to his loneliness, but he was used to it. Unfortunately though, whether he liked it or not, that ability to cope and ignore the overwhelming need to be loved and touched and coddled went out of the window as soon as Steve pulled him into his lap. He could rebuild his wall in the morning.

“Good, because you won’t be,” Pepper continued after a beat, sounding relieved, “It’s up to you; Steve can stay with you until I get back in the morning or we can have Rhodey come stay with you. Your choice, sweetheart, but you have to pick one or I will for you.”

Tony didn't really want to choose. Not because he didn't know what he wanted, because he did. He just wasn't sure if there was a right answer or not, and he didn't want to upset either Pepper nor Steve. Pepper usually made the decisions when he was this far down and he preferred it that way.

He was honestly confused as to why Steve staying was even an option. Pepper was insanely overprotective of Tony, so letting a man she'd never even met in person before spend the night with him seemed out of her character. 

This was something that had obviously been discussed while Pepper and Steve had been speaking privately, and the fact that Steve sticking around was an option meant that Steve must have offered and Pepper decided to trust him. And that’s saying something, because Pepper didn’t trust easily and Tony was well aware of it, too. Especially when it came to Tony. Apparently, stupid Steve had the same effect on everybody.

The part of him that knew damn well that he liked Steve was glad that Pepper seemed to approve. Of course, every time he ranted about him on the phone she tended to side with the Dom, and she had repeatedly told him that he seemed like a nice guy, but this was confirmation that Pepper liked the oversized teddy bear. That was good because if he ever wanted to bond with someone, he'd never do it if Pepper didn't approve. 

And for those same exact reasons, her blessing was the worst possible thing she could have gave him, cause that was one less excuse he had to keep running from Steve. 

One thing was for sure, though, and that was that Tony didn't want Rhodey to have to babysit him. He wished he didn't have to inconvenience any of them with this, honestly, but he did, and it wouldn't be Rhodey. It was just...different with him, and they had a different relationship, and he didn't want to change that, so he knew what his choice was going to be. 

He felt a small pang of fear as he thought about Steve taking advantage of him with nobody there to help, but he looked at the Dom who was still untying his right shoe and the thought left just as quickly as it came. None of the men who'd ever hurt him before had cuddled him on the couch or took his shoes off for him because he didn't have the energy to do it. They definitely hadn't called Pepper for him to help him calm down. If Steve wanted to hurt Tony, he probably would have done it before then. Besides, Jarvis was always watching, whether babysitting protocol was enabled or not. If Tony told the A.I. to get him help, Jarvis would do just that. 

Steve maybe wasn't all the way safe, but Tony didn't think he'd hurt him like that. Or at least he really hoped he wouldn't.

"Not Rhodey," he finally answered after a few moments of silence, eyes flicking back and forth nervously from Steve to Pepper. He didn't know if that's the answer either of them wanted, but he was sure it's what he wanted. Rhodey was his friend, and he didn't think he should have to deal with this. Granted, he didn't think Steve should either, but he'd rather it be him than Rhodey. 

That was the answer Pepper seemed to be expecting and she quickly gave a short nod in response, "Alright, sweetheart. That's fine." 

Tentatively, Tony peaked over at Steve who'd perched himself on the edge of the couch once he finished with the submissive's shoes. He was trying to search for any sign that this isn't what  _he_ wanted, but he didn't find anything. Mostly, the man still looked fairly neutral, but he sent him a warm smile and squeezed his ankle again when their eyes met. The comforting gestures calmed some of Tony's anxiety and he sent him a bashful smile of his own before turning his attention back to the phone in his hand.

"How long-" he began to ask right before a surprise, jaw-splitting yawn interrupted him. He blushed, knowing that his ' _I'm not tired!'_ argument was now even less believable than before. He quickly continued before Pepper could point that out herself, "How long 'til you're home?" 

"Soon, Anthony. I promise," she assured him patiently, "You know it's about a six-hour flight. You need to sleep until I get there,  _at least_. Understand?" 

He hummed his assent, despite the fact that he had no intention of doing that and changed the subject, "How much longer 'til you get on the plane?" 

"Well, I'm on my way to do that now," she informed him, turning the phone and showing him the quick-moving scenery from the window of the car she was apparently in. He wondered how long she'd been driving without him noticing, "I'm going to have to get off of the phone in a minute so I can get through security and stuff, okay, sweetheart?" 

Tony made a face at that but forced himself to nod. He knew that would be coming soon. As much as he wanted to just stay on the phone with her for the entire six-hour flight, he knew that wasn't realistic and he was about to have to say goodbye. Even if it was only until morning, he still wasn't thrilled.

He tried not to dwell on it for the rest of the time they had to talk. Pepper easily took his mind off the subject after he nodded his assent, asking about what he wanted for breakfast the following morning and then stressing to him that he  _would_ be eating breakfast the following morning. He didn't put up too much of a fight, just mentioning that he won't be hungry (because he's  _never_ hungry in the mornings, of course) before quickly changing the subject.

Steve stayed in his place on the arm of the couch after he finished taking off Tony’s shoes (undoubtedly unaware of how expensive the piece of furniture was) and stayed there for the remainder of Tony and Pepper’s conversation. He was silent, but he did keep a comforting grasp on Tony’s ankle. The submissive was appreciative, but he still would have preferred to be back in his lap. He definitely wasn’t about to ask, though, so he just settled for the periodic ankle squeezes Steve was giving him. It was better than nothing. 

His time with Pepper on the phone came to an end much quicker than he would have liked, but he knew she had to go. And he also knew the reason that she had to go was ultimately so she could come to him, which was acceptable. 

“You’re gonna be on your best behavior until I get home, aren’t you?” she asked after she announced she was at the airport, giving him a knowing look. 

“Yes, ma’am,” he answered quietly, shooting Steve a quick glance before looking back towards the phone, “I’ll be good.” 

“You’re always good,” she told him with a smile, “Always my good, sweet boy. It doesn’t matter what that voice in your head says; you’re always the best boy. Aren’t you, sweetheart?” 

Tony nodded vigorously with a smile on his face, cheeks turning red. Deep down, he knew this was just Pepper trying to leave him in the best possible spirits before she had to hang up. But, he also knew that whether he believed it or not, she definitely did. And because of that, her words were like music to his ears. 

"Do you think you can brush your teeth and wash your face for me really quick?" she asked him softly, "I know you don't like to go to bed without getting that done first." 

Tony frowned at the thought of having to get up, but he knew she was right. He hated morning breath and clogged pores. 

"I'll try," he answered after a moment of silence, figuring he'd gotten enough rest to get at least one of those tasks done, "You gotta go now?" 

"Not just yet, honey," Pepper responded, but her face wasn't in the camera anymore and she sounded distracted, "Why don't you let me talk to Steve for a minute while you go do that? And then we can say good night." 

"I can take you with me," he objected, frowning at Steve. What the hell did they need to keep talking about without him, anyway?

His frown only deepened when Steve laughed at him, and it got worse when Pepper responded, "I know you can, but I'd like to speak with Steve for a minute. Did he keep the phone from you before, or did he give it back?" 

She didn't seem to understand that he wasn't really scared that Steve was going to hang up and hurt him anymore, he just didn't want them to keep talking about him behind his back. He kind of knew that was silly, though.

"Go ahead and give him the phone, Tony," she directed when he didn't answer, sounding a little sterner, "It won't take long, sweet boy." 

"You're gonna talk about me," Tony grumbled, some of his usual attitude starting to return to him even as he forced himself to sit up. He was still pretty far down, but he was coming up a little bit, or maybe he was just more comfortable with his surroundings (or just Steve, really). As that was happening, a little bit more of himself was shining through. He was a much sweeter boy than what he usually pretended to be, and he had a great heart, but he was still kind of a brat.

"I'm going to talk to Steve to make sure he can take care of you and understand as well as possible because I know you don't like to make that too easy on people," Pepper explained truthfully, lifting the camera to show her not-so-pleased face, "Anything we've said about you or will say about you in the future when you're not listening is just us talking about what's in your best interest. You know better than to think anything otherwise."

Tony sighed, annoyed because she was right and sad because he did feel guilty for assuming otherwise. He did know better...it was just easy to forget sometimes.

"Here," he grunted out after a moment, shoving the phone in Steve's direction. He was more upset himself than them, but he was never good at dealing with being angry with himself. He preferred to just take it out on everyone else. 

"Thank you, attitude," Steve said, taking the phone from the sub's hands. His tone was calm, but Tony didn't like the look he was giving him.

It wasn't angry. It was far from it actually. But it wasn't the same fond, amused look he was used to getting from the Dom either. This look was more disapproving, and it took Tony about two seconds of eye contact to realize that he absolutely hated that look. He never ever wanted to see it again. It was worse than when Pepper looked at him like that. 

His attitude began to slip away as quickly as it came band he was ready to start crying again. He pulled his bottom lip in between his teeth and shot Steve the most apologetic look he could muster as he forced himself to stand. He wasn't even trying to look all that pitiful as he drug himself towards the bathroom, but he couldn't help it. He was rude and he gave Steve attitude and now the Dom was mad at him. Well, at least that's how he felt. All because of one fucking look. 

Stupid, stupid Steve.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so so sorry for the wait! i'm the worst but i'm making it my life goal to get the next one up faster. 
> 
> leave feedback and kudos! thanks so much guys!


	7. "I Don't Need You or Anyone Else and I Never Will So Leave Me Alone"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy fuckin valentines day

“I think I may have hurt his feelings...” Steve spoke after he watched the visually discouraged sub close the door to his personal bathroom. It was a little amusing, but that was only because Tony was so damn cute. Besides that, he mostly just felt guilty. The submissive was clearly having a long night, and it wasn't his place to be correcting or commenting on his attitude anyway. Or, well, maybe it was. Steve didn't know. He was beginning to second guess himself again.

"Oh, trust me, it doesn't take much to do that,” Pepper informed him with dry amusement, “You wouldn’t be able to tell by the way he usually behaves, but he is _very_ sensitive. Especially if he actually likes you, and it's even worse when he's down like this. So, you're probably in for a long night.” 

Steve bit back a laugh at that himself, his guilt easing up some. A long night cuddling with the adorably dropped submissive didn't sound half bad. Even if he was periodically being a little brat, "I'm pretty sure we'll manage."

“You’re sure you don’t mind staying the night?” Pepper asked before he could respond, reminding Steve that they wouldn’t have long, “I just...don't want you feeling obligated. Even if it is what he wants. It's not too late to call Rhodey up there. I'm sure he's in the tower somewhere anyway..." 

"He is," Steve admitted, even though he was getting fairly comfortable with the idea of Tony-sitting until his Domme got home to take care of him in the morning. He'd just spoke to Rhodey not too long ago at the party, so he knew he couldn't have gone far since then, "I talked to him at the party. You don't need to call him, though, unless you're not comfortable with me staying. Because honestly, I don't mind."  
   
Although, he would have been lying if he said he wasn’t a little nervous to be responsible for the sub all night. Especially since he already managed to upset him once, "Let's just hope I don't make him cry again before the nights over." 

"You probably will," Pepper laughed, her worry seeming to disappear after sensing his, “ _Everything_ hurts his feelings, Steve. Put him back in your lap, make sure he knows you aren't mad and let me tell him good night. He’ll be over it until the next time he feels wronged. Trust me, he's a bit of a roller coaster sometimes, but once you get him figured out you'll do just fine.” 

Steve wasn't sure if he'd do fine or not, but he nodded nonetheless. He wasn't sure why he was doubting himself, either, but he most definitely was. He didn't really get nervous. Especially not about basic sub-care. The fact that this was  _the_ Anthony he'd been working at for nearly two months probably had a lot to do with it. He  _really_ didn't want to fuck this up before he ever even got a chance.

Then again, there was probably no possible way for him to fuck anything up. Not unless he did something vile and completely out of his character. That's how he knew what he was feeling was irrational, so it helped him swallow down his self-doubt. Plus, Tony didn't need a psyched-out, panicking Dominant taking care of him, either. Steve's usual demeanor seemed to be working pretty well for them by then, and he wasn't about to change it.

"I suppose I should get used to it now, then," Steve said dryly after a moment. He had an odd feeling that this would be far from his first ride on Tony's emotional roller coaster. 

“Yeah, I suppose you should. Don't worry, it doesn't take long," Pepper informed him with a grin, " Besides, that's probably not even what you should be worried about." 

"No? What exactly should I be worried about then?" The Dom asked, curiously amused by the fact that Tony's warning label was only getting longer.

"Whether he chooses to go to sleep or just cry in your lap all night," Pepper was chuckling as she answered him, but he could tell she was dead serious, "Tony comes with a lot of long nights. Luckily for you, I don't see tonight being one of the bad ones, but you never know. That's why I want you to be absolutely sure you'd like to stay instead of calling Rhodey. I just don't think it's fair for you to see his worst on the first night."

"Well, I definitely don't think I'll be considering tonight our  _'first night'_ ," Steve couldn't help but laugh even though he knew it wasn't the most appropriate time, "This is just  _a_ night and I happened to stumble upon a sub who needs to be cared for. And that sub happens to be Anthony. That's all. It's not like this was a date gone wrong. It has nothing to do with Anthony and I's...situation. And even if it did, I wouldn't hold anything I see against him. I know he can't help it." 

"No, he can't. He tries, but..." she trailed off with a sigh, running her fingers through her hair and giving the tresses a frustrated tug, "There's no way you haven't figured out by now that he can be a huge brat, but for the most part, he's just a big baby.  _Especially_ when he's down. All he wants is to be comforted - he just doesn't know how to ask."

"Yes, I've been starting to notice that part, too," Steve chuckled, noting how far Tony had regressed just since he started slipping down at the party. 

"Oh, I'm sure," she agreed lightly before continuing, "My point is, he's a huge sweetheart, and he's the best boy in the world when he wants to be. He's worth every single headache he'll undoubtedly cause you. I can assure you of that. I just... don't want whatever he does tonight to spook you." 

"Pepper..." Steve sighed out, exasperated. "I've already told you-" 

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I know you say that won't happen but...There's just still a lot you don't know. And he's been hurt more than enough. The more time you spend with him, the further you get over his wall, and the more he's going to care about you. So, if shit hits the fan and you decide you can't handle him...well, where does that leave him?"

"I won't be leaving, Pepper," he assured her quickly, hardly being able to hear her out without cutting her off. A lot had changed while he was in the ice; there were a lot of things he found himself unsure of anymore. However, he was _not_ , nor had ever been, easily spooked. "I'm not scared of him. I know all you want is to protect him, and I'm so glad he has someone like you taking care of him. But I'd really like you to understand that you don't need to protect him from me. Besides, I'm honestly not even _thinking_ past tonight right now. All I'm worried about is getting him through the night as smoothly as possible. Could you give me some tips on how to do that? You're the expert." 

Steve did his best to comfort the Domme's worries, but he knew there was only so much he could do to lessen her anxiety. When he told her he was happy Tony had somebody who cared enough to worry so much, he truly meant it. The poor thing would have been way worse off without Pepper. That still didn't mean he wouldn't be better off with Steve.

"Is there anything that helps him sleep?" Steve continued after a moment in his thoughts, hoping there was something he could do to keep Tony from staying up for another five hours, "I really want him to rest."

"Fortunately enough, yes. He usually isn't completely inconsolable," Pepper breathed out, already sounding relieved Steve's attempt to get her mind on to something she could actively help with seeming to work, "As I said earlier, he loves comfort. He thrives off any affection in general, for the most part, but he specifically likes to be cuddled. And I noticed you already figured out his fixation with having his hair played with." 

Steve nodded, a smile playing at his lips. Playing with his hair is what got them in that position in the first place. "Does he have nightmares? Is that why he doesn't like to sleep?"

"For the most part, yeah," Pepper sighed, confirming Steve's suspicions, "He...has a lot of trauma, to say the absolute least. And he almost always refuses to talk about it. If he does have a bad one, just make sure he knows he's safe and try to distract him. And you need to ask if he wants to talk about it. He won't, I'm sure, but on the off chance that he does, you should ask. If he actually wants to lighten whatever's going on in his head, then he needs to."

This didn't surprise Steve, but it still broke his heart a little bit more. The thought of having to hear whatever it was that terrorized him in his dreams only added to the awful feeling. He was fully aware that Tony was far from ready to unload his trauma like that. Quite frankly, Steve didn't think he was ready to hear it. He knew that didn't matter too much, though; Pepper's point still stood. If for whatever reason he opted to talk about it, then that's what they would do. 

"Also," she continued in a lighter tone, pulling Steve out of his thoughts, "Seeing as he  _is_ Tony, he also tends to feel like there is just _always_ something better he could be doing. It’s been his downfall plenty of times,”

"Ah," Steve couldn't help but laugh, "Now, that sounds like him."

"Most definitely," she agreed with a chuckle, "So keep him off of any electronics until morning. He'll probably want to turn his TV on and that's fine. He can go ahead and watch whatever he wants, but nothing beyond that. And for the love of God, please don't let him end up in his lab. He knows he's not supposed to be in there at night, but he will have no problem locking you out and dealing with the consequences whenever I get there if he catches the chance."  

"Brat," Steve chuckled quietly, looking towards the restroom Tony was still in. The water was still running and he could hear a little movement so he knew he was doing what he was supposed to, but he also knew it wouldn't be long before he was done, "I'll be sure to keep an eye on him. I'm a light sleeper, anyway. It won't be hard."

"Thank God," she joked but sounded relieved, "I had a nifty little set-up where Jarvis reported back to me whenever Tony was knowingly misbehaving, but he went out of his way to disable that about a month into this trip. He's under the impression I still don't know. Since he's already due to be dealt with for _that_ , plus some maintenance, I'd really rather not have to deal with some kind of middle-of-the-night Tony scheme, too. Of course, I know you can't control him, but..."

"It's okay, I get it," Steve chuckled, amused by what Pepper had told him. It seems sneakiness was definitely one of Tony's best-practiced skills. Unfortunately for him, Steve's enhanced senses made his stealth practically useless around him. It was likely the submissive would be incredibly disappointed whenever he figured that out.

"I'll be sure to keep a close eye on him," Steve assured her with a nod, "I don't want him to be sorer than necessary, either." 

Pepper laughed, "Sometimes, there's no such thing with him." 

Steve knew she was joking, but with some of the behavior he'd already exhibited, he figured there was a little truth to it. He didn't doubt that Tony was hard-headed as hell, red-bottomed or otherwise. The kid was going to need a lot of work. 

This wasn't the time to work on him, though, and when he heard the water shut off abruptly in the bathroom he was reminded of that.

"Uh oh," Steve muttered quietly, looking in the direction of the bathroom, "I believe our reprieve is just about up." 

"I'm surprised it lasted that long," Pepper mused, "Then again, you hurt his feelings, so he'll try his best to please until he realizes you're not actually upset with him. After that, it should be back to the regularly scheduled program." 

Overall, that was good news for Steve. He much preferred a bratty but comfortable submissive over a guilt-ridden one who was walking on eggshells trying to ensure he wasn't in any trouble. That in mind, he intended to nip the sub's current distress in the bud as soon as possible. The longer he allowed Tony's thoughts to run free, the more worked up he'd get himself. None of them wanted that.

When Tony slowly pushed open the door to the bathroom, Steve hurriedly set the phone to the side and beckoned him towards him. The tear tracks on his cheeks had been washed away but his eyes were still wet, indicating that he'd continued to cry as he readied himself for bed. Steve had probably never seen him look so skeptical (which was really saying something when it came to Tony), but Steve still felt his heart melt. God, the submissive was just so fucking cute. For the thousandth time that night, Steve wondered how anybody could have  _ever_  hurt him.

"C'mere," he spoke softly, opening his posture and softening his features. Tony stayed in the doorway of the bathroom for a moment, seeming to weigh his options. His eyes darted around a little before landing on the cell phone lying next to Steve on the couch. It must have been what he was looking for because once he confirmed it was still there, he slowly began to shuffle his feet towards Steve. 

Once he was almost within arm's length, Steve reached out a hand for him to grab and offered him a warm smile, "Why don't you come sit with me while you tell Pepper good night? Does that sound okay?"

Steve could literally see Tony hold himself back as he nodded vigorously, obviously more than pleased with the idea. He wasn't surprised; he could tell Tony wanted back in his lap since the moment they made him get out of it. The attention and touch meant everything to him and it was obvious, he was just too stubborn and proud to actually ask. 

"Yes, please, sir," he voiced in the most polite tone Steve ever heard him use after a moment of just nodding. His eyes were hopeful and bright, and he was practically vibrating in his spot with the spot. Steve was sure his heart was some kind of puddle by then. 

"C'mere, sweetheart," he repeated, reaching for the sub's hand so he could pull him down towards him. He wasn't surprised when Tony obediently took a step forward and clumsily climbed into his lap. He squirmed for a few moments, trying to get back into the same position they were in in the living room. Steve accommodated him, sliding his arm under the sub's legs and cradling him like a baby once again.

"You okay?" Steve asked him softly once Tony seemed to be settled, head lying against his chest. When his hand went up to play with Tony's hair, it was almost instinctual, and the pleased grunt he received in response let him know the action was appreciated, "Ready for bed?"

"Mhm," he hummed, letting his eyes close for a moment as he soaked up the affection, previous turmoil apparently long forgotten. Steve was almost embarrassed for thinking that he'd _actually_ done something Tony wouldn't forgive.

The face pressed against Steve's chest was still wet with tears but he seemed to breathe in the other man's scent for a moment. He did it a few times before he finally turned his head and nodded towards the phone, "Can I talk to Pep, please?" 

The attitude from before was gone (for the time being, at least). His voice was soft and sweet and just like the eyes he gave Steve as he asked. The affection he felt for Tony was just so _strong_ , he just wanted to kiss his head and protect him forever. Fighting the urge to, he settled to offer him a small smile and nod, "Of course, you can talk to Pep, buddy. That was the agreement, after all. Here you go."

Instead of reaching for the phone himself, he tucked his hands in between himself and Steve's chest, allowing the Dom to hold it up for him. Just like before, he met Pepper with a goofy grin, "Hi, mama." 

The nickname took Steve by surprise, but he bit it down before it could show on his face. He'd never heard him call or refer to her as that before, so he figured it was something that happened when he was deep in his space. If Tony ever regressed far enough to actually be considered a little, he was sure Pepper would have mentioned that to him. As long as she'd been in his life by then, and considering the fact that they'd never been sexually or romantically involved, he probably did look at her as a motherly figure even though they were nearly the same age. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't curious to learn more.  Despite his curiosity, Steve reminded himself that it wasn't his business. Not yet, at least. When it was, he would be sure to bring it up to Pepper.

"Hi, sweet boy," Pepper greeted just as she had earlier, returning his smile, "You feel a little better, now? All ready for bed?" 

His eyes were visibly drooping as he nodded, but he still argued with a shrug, "'m still not tired, Pep..." 

"Yes, I know, honey," Pepper jokingly sympathized, "I can see how 'not-tired' you are all the way from here. Unfortunately, it's time to rest now."

The submissive made a face at that but declined to argue any further. Instead, he curled closer to Steve and asked a question he already knew the answer to, "When is your plane supposed to land?" 

"6:45. So, I'll probably be there sometime after 7. Stay in bed until then, okay?" 

"'Kay," he agreed, fighting back a yawn, "I'll try. But what if I get bored? Or hungry?" 

"You're more than welcome to put something on the TV and watch it," she informed him with a smile, clearly used to this line of questioning, "Just as long as your butt stays in that bed. And why is it the only time you want to eat is when you're supposed to be _sleeping,_ silly boy?" 

That earned her a shy smile and another shrug. Steve couldn't help at smile at the interaction - Tony and his 'mama' were cute. _Tony_ was especially cute. With his head lying on Steve's chest, eyes still wet but smiling brightly at the screen, still trying to scoot impossibly closer to the Dom that, two hours prior, he would have sworn on all things holy he couldn't stand. Steve wondered how much of this progress would reverse in the morning. Not all of it, he hoped. He definitely wasn't looking for a reward for taking care of Tony, but if they managed to make it past the _"I Don't Need You or Anyone Else and I Never Will So Leave Me Alone"_ stage after everything, then well, maybe that wouldn't be all bad. 

"That's the only time I get hungry," he defended, picking with the buttons of Steve's shirt, "It's not my fault." 

"Of course, it's not, Tony," Pepper chuckled fondly, "Just make sure you try to get your rest tonight, okay, sweetie?" 

"Yes'm, I'll try," he assured her obediently, though Steve doubted the validity of this "Is it time for you to go yet?" 

His tone became much more sullen as he addressed her inevitable departure, squirming a little against Steve's thighs. He'd been dealing pretty well, but the reality was likely setting in and he obviously still wasn't too comfortable with it. Steve didn't expect him to be, and since he knew the inevitable was approaching, he began to prepare himself for whatever the fall back would be. Hopefully, not too catastrophic. He was coping well so far, so Steve hoped that would continue until he got him to sleep.

"Just about, sweetie," her voice was just as sullen, and Steve could tell she was worrying again, "You know you're completely safe, right, sweet boy? Steve wouldn't be there if he wanted to hurt you. I wouldn't let him be. Nothing and nobody is going to harm you, so it's okay to just rest until I get there. You can relax because you're safe." 

Tony bit his lip as he nodded, eyes raising from the phone's screen up to meet Steve's. He was still skeptical, Steve could see the slightest hint of it, but besides that, his eyes almost seemed...trusting. Steve didn't take that lightly. 

"She's absolutely right, y'know," he told him with a small smile and a wink, "All you need to worry about is just letting me take care of you, okay?" 

That must have appeased him because he nodded without a second thought, eyes falling back to the phone, "I know, mama. I'm okay. Hurry up, please?" 

"I will do my absolute best," she promised him with a laugh, despite the fact that there wasn't actually much she could do, "And I expect you show Steve what good behavior you can have. That means no sneaking to the lab or anywhere else, tonight, doesn't it, sweetheart?" 

"Yes, mama," he grumbled, squirming a little against Steve, "I'm gonna rest like you said. Promise."

"That's my good boy," she praised one last time, "I've gotta go now, okay, baby? I love you  _so_ much, and I am so proud of you. You're doing such a good job. If I get a good report in the morning, we'll discuss rewards. Okay, sweet boy?" 

The slew of praise and the idea of rewards brightened Tony's mood a little as he gave another enthusiastic nod, "Yes, ma'am. I'll be good." 

"You are good," she corrected without missing a beat, smiling brightly at him, "I love you, baby boy." 

"Love you, too, mama," he quickly assured her, smiling as well, "Please fly safe, okay? You promised to be here in the morning, so you have to." 

"Of course, sweet boy. I always keep my promises," she assured him with a smile. Steve was glad Tony didn't pick up on it, but her eyes were wet with tears. He couldn't blame her. If Tony said something as sweet and absolutely _a-fucking-dorable_ as that to him, he'd probably tear up, too, "I'll see you in the morning, okay? Get some sleep for me." 

"Yes, ma'am," he answered softly, offering her one more small smile, "I love you." 

"I love you more, Anthony," she assured him one last time, "Goodnight, baby." 

"Goodnight, mama." 

Once the phone hung up, it was silent. Steve couldn't help but begin to feel nervous again. Now, the real games began, and he could only hope he was ready.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have this whole story and a sequel planned out in my head, but BOY actually putting thoughts into words is something I struggle with. nevertheless, three months late, here is a new installment. Not very long, but considering the next chapter is already almost finished, there shouldn't be such a wait for some new content. 
> 
> thanks so much for all the nice comments and kudos. leave some more if you'd like. hope you enjoy! see you soon!


	8. and i keep my promises.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was supposed to be longer but it’s taking me forever to finish it so i just kinda :/

Steve was expecting a breakdown as soon as Pepper hung up the phone. He was expecting a full-blown, majorly impressive tantrum, actually. That's what he'd been preparing himself for since she picked up the phone. It was an unsettlingly pleasant surprise when nothing of the sort came.

Tony, who was still very much curled up in Steve's lap, visibly deflated after the phone call ended. He continued to stare at the screen of Steve's phone for several quiet moments, looking utterly forlorn, but he didn't make a move to throw a tantrum. There was yet another beat of silence before he let out a shaky sigh and finally handed Steve back his phone. His eyes were wet with fresh tears when he looked up at him and politely asked, "Can I watch TV, please?" 

"Of course, Anthony," he answered softly, still wary of the calm demeanor. He  _was_ visibly more upset after Pepper's digital departure, but Steve definitely expected worse of a reaction than he was receiving. If there was going to be a tantrum, it wasn't unlikely that it would be delayed, but at least it wasn't immediate. Preparing himself for the worst, he pushed it to the back of his mind and tried not to fret. He would have to ride out Tony's moods as they came. 

"I think you probably know how to work all this better than I do," Steve joked with a smile when Tony just continued to give him a sad look, patting his stomach, "Don't you?" 

Much to Steve's relief, Tony giggled in response. He shyly brought a hand up to wipe at the tears that were forced to fall when his eyes crinkled, "Do you know how to work _anything?_ " 

"More or less," Steve shrugged, relaxing back into the couch. This was going much better than he anticipated, "If you give me four or five hours, I can figure just about anything out. Well, so far." 

Tony's giggle became a full-blown laugh in response, hiccuping a few times as an aftereffect of all of the crying he'd been doing. It was absolutely adorable and Steve was sure he was in love. Before he could accidentally voice that, the submissive was calling out to his robot butler. "Jarvis, could you turn something on, please?" 

The fact that Tony was considering his manners, even when he was just talking to Jarvis, was even cuter. The smile he was shining at him brightened as he teased, "Well, _I_ could have done that." 

Looking up, he seemed to muster up the most innocent look he could manage before shrugging his shoulders, "Well, why didn't you, then?" 

Steve shook his head fondly, figuring he should have anticipated the smart-assed response. He was glad Tony was beginning to feel comfortable enough with him to be bratty again. A sassy submissive was one who knew he was safe. For the time being, that's all Steve wanted.

"Which movie would you prefer, Sir?" Jarvis questioned as the humungous flatscreen mounted to the wall in front of them turned on. Steve nearly jumped, not expecting the bright light in the otherwise dim room any more than he was expecting the booming voice. This reaction got another giggle out of Tony, but he didn't comment on it otherwise. 

"Doesn't matter," Tony answered through a horribly hidden yawn. He peered up at Steve again to see if he saw it. The knowing look he received must have let him know that it hadn't gone unnoticed because he diverted his gaze again, "Something good." 

"You need to be sleeping instead of watching movies, y'know," Steve offered nonchalantly, pressing his fingers firmly against the submissive's scalp and he pulled him against his chest. Tony’s eyes fluttered shut as he leaned into the touch, but he just made a _'hmph'_ noise in response to the suggestion. Steve expected getting him to sleep would be the hardest part, so he didn't push him any further than that. It would take time, but he'd get it done before Pepper arrived.

It wasn't long before a movie started, the sound of the opening credits booming from somewhere Steve couldn't see. If he didn't know any better, he'd say it was simply coming from everywhere. One thing was for sure, though: it was painfully and unnecessarily loud. 

Tony obviously agreed, instantly whining and curling into Steve in reaction to the loud noise, "Too loud, Jarvis!" 

It had obviously startled the poor thing - something that was clearly very upsetting to the submissive in his current state. Steve cradled him even closer, shushing him softly out of reflex alone. It did the trick and Tony ate it up, burying his face into the man's chest and trying to squirm impossibly closer. Steve's hormones were going nuts; he could feel them bonding, intentionally or not. If the way Tony just kept breathing him in was anything to go off of, he was feeling the same way. 

"Sorry, sir," the A.I. interrupted their moment as the volume of the movie dropped drastically, somehow sounding apologetic, "The volume was never adjusted from the last time you used your viewing area." 

Jarvis went ignored. Tony chose to keep his face pressed into the muscular chest presented to him instead. Steve continued to hold him tightly, cradling his head with the same hand he was using to play in his hair. He wanted to coo at him and praise him for how well he was doing - how easily he was allowing himself to be taken care of even though it was scary. He was relaxed, practically purring in his lap and Steve could tell that the contact and the fingers in his hair had him floating again. What he absolutely was not about to do was ruin that by overwhelming him with too much, too soon. So, he settled for a simple _'good boy'_   and turned his attention to the big screen in front of him. 

He kept up with comforting gestures as he focused on the movie. Tony was boneless in Steve's arms, not bothering to turn around for several minutes. Just when Steve though he'd managed to fall asleep, he turned his face away from him with a yawn. Steve loosened his grip when he began to squirm, allowing him to reposition himself so he could see the TV.

The glazed look in his eyes made it obvious he was still very much floating through subspace, but the sounds of the movie playing behind him must have intrigued him enough to turn around. Steve eventually recognized it as one of the Star Wars movies, though he had no clue which one. The franchise was still incredibly confusing to him and he had no interest in figuring it out. Tony, however, was obviously a fan, so Steve knew he might end up getting more familiar with it then he intended. 

Even though he knew he wouldn't be able to keep up, Steve joined Tony in focusing on the movie. Despite the circumstances, it was still the most relaxed he'd felt in ages and it was clear Tony felt the same. The poor thing was touch starved, to say the least, so he was soaking up every ounce of affection he could get. He wasn't sure how long said peace was going to last, but he intended to enjoy it for as long as possible.

The pair sat in comfortable silence for nearly an hour, only moving when Tony squirmed into a more comfortable position and Steve accommodated. Steve had been secretly praying he'd doze off on his own but unfortunately, he was too stubborn to give in like that. Pepper obviously wasn't exaggerating when she said he came with long nights. Despite the fact that he was visibly exhausted, he seemed to have no plans of actually going to sleep. He was just as interested in the film as he was when it started and Steve was feeling thankful that he himself didn't require much sleep. 

Suddenly, Tony shifted again but this time so he was gazing up at the Dominant. Steve ignored it for a second, figuring it would pass after Tony found whatever it was he was looking for. When a few moments passed and it didn't, he couldn't help but chuckle as he finally looked down to meet his eyes, "May I help you?" 

His head turned to the side ever so slightly, as if he was a curious puppy as he regarded him. He continued to observe for a little while longer before he asked, “Why don’t you have one, already?”

“Have one of what, sweetheart?” Steve asked softly, eyebrows furrowing. The blue light from the TV was the only lighting in the room, and the way it hit Tony’s face made him look as beautiful as ever. His eyes sparkled in the low light as he looked up at him.

Those eyes continued to do so even as he rolled them at him, “A sub. _Duh_.” 

Steve chuckled at the smart-assed response, figuring he probably should have anticipated it. He wanted to reprimand him for it, but considering how that had gone last time he decided against it. A little sass was far from enough to ruin what they peace they had going so far, "Well...because I don't."

Tony snorted at the lame response, “That's not a reason, Sir.” 

Despite himself, Steve supposed it wasn’t, “I just haven’t met anyone yet, is all. There’s no big explanation for it. Why do you ask?” 

He shrugged, seeming much shyer all of a sudden as he averted his eyes. He began to play with the buttons on Steve's shirt again to avoid eye contact, “It just...seems like you should...by now.”  

It was far from the first time he’d heard that. Just about anyone he'd spoken to for more than twenty minutes ended up asking some form of that question. And they all got some form of the same answer. The truth was, before Tony, he simply just wasn't looking. Life had been hectic since he came back, to say the least, and it was hardly slowing down. But one day, he started working with an organization called SHIELD, a company that happened to work very close with Stark Industries. Because of that, he met Tony. In some lab in some painfully large tower, there was a beautifully bratty submissive fearlessly smarting off to Nick Fury. It was...weird. He didn't see it coming, but he could feel it in every fiber of his being: He’d found his boy.

That was much more than what Tony was asking him, though, and Steve surely wasn’t about to pour all of it out. 

“Maybe I could say the same about you, Anthony," he opted to change the subject, not feeling up to explaining things he hardly understood himself, "Why don't  _you_ have one, already?"

"Stupid question," he grumbled with a shrug, “I make it plenty obvious _why_.”

Steve knew that was the case when he asked, but he just gave an innocent shrug, “Really? I haven’t noticed...” 

Tony gave a low chuckle, but he didn’t sound all that amused. Steve was expecting a response, but one never came. Instead, he curled a little closer into Steve, took a handful of his shirt and let out a little sigh. For a moment, he wondered if he managed to upset him again, but when he nuzzled his face into his chest he figured they were still good. He repeated the same actions as earlier before he turned back to the movie. It was back to silence for a while after that.

After another period of time passed, the submissive was letting out his hundredth yawn of the night. It was then Steve decided he needed to start taking the necessary steps to help get him to sleep. When he noticed that he was still nearly fully dressed, he figured he'd start there. 

“Hey,” he called softly, bouncing his leg a little to get the slowly drifting sub’s attention, “Why don’t we get you more comfortable before you get to bed, buddy?” 

Tony didn’t seem to care about the way he was dressed until Steve pointed it out to him, but even then he just shrugged and pushed at the waistline of his pants. It didn’t take long before he’d given up with no progress, "'m not tired." 

Steve chuckled at the squirming submissive’s awful lying, “Uh-huh. Where are your PJ’s, Anthony?” 

Tony just made a face at him, which Steve figured was a result of him referring to his bedclothes by such a childish name, and gave him yet another shrug. 

Steve gave an exasperated sigh. Before he could respond, though, Jarvis spoke up for him, “Some have already been lied out in Tony’s restroom, Sir.” 

He nodded to himself, grateful for the A.I's help. He could clearly be useful when Tony was choosing to be petulant. Steve couldn't help but chuckle when Tony rolled his eyes and grunted up at the ceiling. He clearly didn't want to have to change his clothes, and Jarvis blew that for him.

Ignoring the submissive's whine of protest, Steve slowly stood up with him cradled in his arms and began to carry him into the unnecessarily large restroom, "Let's get you ready for bed, sweetheart."

Tony grumbled a little about how he wasn't tired again but still huddled against his chest as they walked. He did make a noise of protest when he was set onto the bathroom tile, and once Steve stepped back from him he began to whine, " _Sir_..."

"I know," he appeased softly, quickly locating the neatly folded pile of clothing on an empty counter near the bathtub, "We're gonna get you into your pajamas so you can get some sleep."

"I'm _cold!_ " he complained in another whine, shifting from one bare foot to another as he did so, "And I'm _not_ tired! Why aren't you listening to me?!"

Steve knew Tony was getting frustrated and it would give way to a meltdown if he didn't get it handled. Concealing a frustrated sigh, he stepped forward to pull the teary submissive back into his arms. Tony whined again, even as he rested his face against Steve's strong shoulders and hugged him back, "Nobody _listens_." 

"I'm listening, buddy," Steve assured him, resting his head against his. He could tell by his demeanor and tone that what the sub was expressing was far from a new feeling, so he knew there wasn't much he could do about it besides deal with his hand in it and speak to Pepper in the morning, "I hear you; you're cold and you're not tired. But, do you remember what you promised Pepper?" 

There was no verbal answer, but Steve felt the sullen boy nod against him. 

"That means we've gotta get you in your bed," he informed him once he was sure he had nothing to say, running a hand up and down his back, "So you can rest like you promised her. I doubt you can do that too well in what you're wearing." 

He shrugged, nonchalant with his words, "I do it all the time." 

Steve let out a breathy laugh at that, pulling back so he could look down at Tony, "Well, maybe that's why you don't sleep all the time, Anthony." 

Tony gripped at Steve's shirt when he stepped back, not allowing him to pull too far away before he spoke, "I really don't think pajamas are gonna make too much of a difference, Sir."

Steve's glanced down, heart bursting at the sight of Tony's fists balled up in his shirt. He was clingy and shameless about it, and Steve couldn't help but smile. The poor thing just wanted to be close, and once he got him settled, Steve would be thrilled to oblige. 

"We'll just have to see," he continued smoothly, not addressing Tony's grip on him as he gestured towards his clothes, "If I step out for a minute, can you get changed for me?"

Steve already knew what the answer was going to be, so he wasn't surprised when Tony whined and forced himself back against his chest, "Noooo!" 

"Okay, okay," he soothed quickly, embracing him again, "I won't leave, but you still have to change, buddy. Do you need help?" 

He was nodding before Steve even finished talking, allowing himself to be pushed back this time. Steve was worried Tony would be uncomfortable stripping in front of him, hence why he was going to let him have some privacy to change clothes. Tony wasn't interested in that idea, though. He also wasn't outwardly embarrassed about the situation at all. Keeping that in mind, Steve went ahead and reached down to unbutton his slacks. 

"I'm not gonna hurt you, I promise," Steve comforted quietly even though the submissive didn't seem to need it. He was trying to force as much eye contact as he could, wanting to be sure Tony understood what was going on. He'd obviously been through a lot so Steve wouldn't be surprised if he got the wrong idea from the gesture, "I'm just helping you change. That's okay, right?" 

"Uh-huh," Tony agreed quietly, now blushing slightly and avoiding his eyes. The grip he had on Steve's shirt hadn't changed and despite his shyness, his nerves weren't getting any worse. Once he was done observing the submissive for any signs of a breakdown, Steve pushed the tight pants down his thighs. 

Tony squirmed to help them fall down to his ankles, reaching up to rest his hands on the Dom's broad shoulders to steady himself. Once his slacks hit the floor, he quickly grabbed Steve's shirt again. He glanced up to give him a small smile in return, "I'm not going anywhere. Don't worry." 

That got him a deeper blush and another nod. Trying to ignore the fact that his heart was about to _explode_ , Steve stepped on the pants still bunched around Tony's ankles so he could step all the way out, leaving him in just his boxers. Despite a shiver, he was unfazed, so Steve gently detached Tony's hands from his shirt, holding them in his own instead, "Good boy. Can you get your shirt off for me?" 

"No!" he answered again, but this time it was loud and panic-ridden. He jerked his hands from Steve's grip, using them to clutch his t-shirt to his body as he frantically shook his head, "No! I...I'm fine. I mean...it's comfortable. I don't need to change." 

Steve had gotten too comfortable in the idea that Tony was okay with this, so this reaction caught him off balance. Losing his pants didn't bother him one bit, but he was now in tears over the idea of taking off his shirt. Steve knew that couldn't have stemmed from anything pleasant, but he pushed the thought to the back of his mind. He didn't want to think about the poor thing's past. Not until it was time to, at least.

Tony must have mistaken Steve's momentary silence for displeasure because he quietly whimpered, squirming in his spot, "I'm sorry..."

“Hey, that’s okay,” Steve soothed, snapping himself out of his thoughts after the submissive's soft apology, keeping his hands up and clear for Tony to see as he made up the distance between them, “It looks comfortable, but it’s a little wet. This one’s clean and dry. I think it would be better, don't you?”   
   
Steve kept his voice low as he explained the obvious, gesturing to the wet, loose collar of the undershirt that Tony had been using to wipe at his face all night, “It’s perfectly okay if you don’t want me to see. It’s nothing for me to step out for a second just so you can-“ 

“No!” Tony protested again, frustration bleeding from his voice as his fists balling up at his sides. Considering his body language and whiny tone, Steve wouldn’t have been surprised if he stomped his foot. He took a deep breath before, eyes squeezed shut as he ground out his words, “I don’t _want_ you to leave!”

By then, it was clear that Tony was struggling to articulate what he was feeling in an appropriate manner. Honestly, he was so frustrated that Steve was surprised that he hadn't burst into a tantrum already. It was all getting to be too much for him, bless his heart, but Steve was happy that Tony was still trying so hard to behave, even though it was hard. There'd be tons of praise to offer as soon as he got the stubborn sub to finally go to bed. 

“I’m not leaving, sweetheart,” he assured him, figuring he'd start there, “I was just gonna step out of the bathroom so you could have some privacy. I'd be right there in your room. That's as far as I'm going from you tonight, buddy. I promise.” 

Despite the reassuring words, Tony gave him a teary, wary look. When it became clear that suggestion wasn't good enough for him either, Steve had to bite back a sigh. He was running out of options, and he was considering just letting Tony have his way. One night in a slightly-worn t-shirt wouldn't be the death of him. It did feel like a few steps in the wrong direction when it came to establishing his dominance and demonstrating his ability to properly care for him, but he was okay with choosing his battles. They made some huge strides in the last few hours and he didn't want to blow it over a shirt. 

“How about I just turn around?" Steve offered up as the last attempt, hoping Tony would recognize that he was trying desperately to meet him in the middle, "I’ll still be in the room with you. You'll still be able to see me, but I can't see you, so you can get changed on your own. Is that okay?” 

He eyed him for a while, fresh tears leaking out of his eyes as he considered the option. Steve prepared himself to give it up, ready to accept one more _'No!'_ before the pair called it a night. He was about to remind Tony that it was okay if he wasn't comfortable with that, either, but Tony spoke up before he had the chance. 

"You'll stay?" he asked softly, peaking up from under wet eyelashes in the most pitiful little tone Steve had ever heard him use, "In here...with me? Promise?" 

Steve's heart had been a puddle for a while by then, but it melted even further at his words. God, he was totally sprung. And every single time Tony looked at him with those  _eyes_ and said something so adorable, he was even more smitten. He offered a warm smile, letting the emotion he was feeling flood his voice as he spoke, "I promise, Anthony. And I keep my promises."

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY a new chapter should come soon? idk? i’m a mess but i’m trying. i dance around this story a lot and i touch on a different chapter everyday and my process is...highly ineffective but i’m trying!! idk somebody spank me please i need some discipline here
> 
> anyway, i just couldnt finish this whole chapter as fast as i wanted to, so i found a slightly good point to split it just to share some new content. hopefully i’ll get the rest up soon. 
> 
> as always, thanks for the kudos and the feedback. it really keeps me going. thanks, and until next time


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